


New beginnings

by CampbellFitch



Category: Coronation Street
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-24 14:15:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 75,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14956196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CampbellFitch/pseuds/CampbellFitch
Summary: Set two years after 'New experiences'. Kate and Rana made a promise to each other that they would deal with whatever life threw at them together, as a couple, and that's exactly what they are going to do.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! So as promised, this is the sequel to 'New experiences.' There will be references to that so if you haven't read it, it's probably best to do so before you read this. This does have a slightly different feel to 'New experiences' in the sense that I have included more Corrie characters, but don't worry; this story is 100% all about Kana and their lives together. I've slightly changed some of the cannon storylines that we've already seen on Corrie but it's nothing major and won't make too much of a difference in the long run.
> 
> :)

New beginnings.

Chapter one.

Kate Connor checked her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes and hopped up on top of the green railings outside of the medical centre, as she waited for her girlfriend, Rana Nazir to finish her shift.

Kate had enjoyed a productive day off – she had gone to the gym in the morning (like the creature of habit she was) watched several repeats of ‘Supermarket sweep’ at lunchtime (her guilty pleasure - she always wanted to be on the blue team) did a small food shop (she had drawn the short straw, literally) and had made dinner for two (it was her turn but she didn’t mind, especially when Rana was always keen to show her appreciation.)

So much had happened in the last two years; most of it good and some of it not. Zeedan and Rana’s divorce had finally been completed and both women were ecstatic to have him out of their life for good, which allowed them to live life as a proper couple. 

Rana had insisted on keeping the Nazir name, not because she wanted to be tied to the Nazir siblings in any way but because of her closeness and affiliation with Yasmeen, the woman whom she wished could be her mother. 

After a tricky start (to put it mildly) Michelle and Robert did eventually make it down the aisle, with Michelle keeping the Connor name. 

Johnny and Jenny had gone through a rough patch after he had almost cheated with Liz McDonald. Johnny had soon realised that what he had with Jenny was too good to lose and they were now focussed on giving their marriage another chance. 

Imran and Alya had embarked on a relationship, albeit a brief one, much to Rana’s chagrin. It didn’t take long for Imran to see what everyone had been telling him about Alya’s insufferable ways and he had broken it off, leaving Alya more abhorrent than ever, especially after she had lost the court case against the Connors and had been told to accept the 18% shares of Underworld, or nothing at all – she wisely chose the 18%.

After Pat Phelan’s demise, Gary Windass and Seb Franklin had automatically acquired the deeds to 19a Victoria Street and were now their new joint landlords. 

Gary had reminded them that the flat had three bedrooms and they needed an extra roommate; a vacancy in which Ryan was only happy to fill, much to Kate’s irritation.

Craig was an easy roommate to live with; he was clean, tidy, did his fair share of the chores, paid his way and knew when to make himself scarce when Kate and Rana wanted the flat to themselves (which in truth, was extremely often – at least his bosses were pleased with the amount of voluntary overtime he did!) 

Ryan, on the other hand was the exact opposite, just as Kate knew he would be and as a result, many arguments between the cousins ensued, leaving Rana and Craig stuck in the middle of the squabbling Connors.

Kate was knocked out of her thoughts when the door to the medical centre opened but was soon disappointed to see Ali emerge.

“Oh, cheers,” Ali mumbled and fixed his man-bag higher on his shoulder. 

“Sorry,” Kate winced and offered him an apologetic, close lipped smile.

“S’alright; she’ll be out in a bit,” Ali bobbed his head up and down and scratched at his beard. “Have a good evening.”

“You too,” she nodded and fixed her eyes back on the doors. “Finally,” Kate exclaimed. She hopped off the railings and pulled Rana closer for a kiss and a hug. “I was beginning to think you were stopping the night.”

“I’m not late, am I?” Rana checked the upside down watch affixed to her uniform. “Barely ten minutes!” Rana shook her head at her impatient girlfriend.

“What can I say; I missed ya,” Kate shrugged a shoulder and took Rana’s hand within her own as they walked home. “How was your day?”

“Ugh, slow; lots of paperwork but not many patients. To make matters worse, Moira was telling me about how she’s joined a dating site and was being quite specific with details of this bloke she’s met,” Rana spoke with wide eyes. “Let’s just say, I’ll never look at an avocado in the same way again!” She explained and shook her head at Kate’s quizzical expression. “Honestly, don’t ask. How was your day off?”

“Not bad, didn’t really do anything too exciting,” Kate shrugged. “Gym, Supermarket sweep, shopping – in that order,” she counted out on her fingers. 

“You and your obsession with that show,” Rana lightly nudged her with her shoulder.

“Oi, it’s a classic!” she protested. “Oh, and I’ve made dinner. I can’t promise it’s any good, but I made a vegetable curry and naan bread, from scratch, thank you very much. Am I an amazing girlfriend, or what?”

“Mmm, you’re the best,” Rana purred and leaned in for a kiss. They reached their front door just as Craig was rushing out and the tall and hulking young man almost barrelled into Rana.

“Whoa, watch it!” Kate swiftly moved to catch her dainty girlfriend before she was knocked over. “Mind where you’re going!”

“I’m so sorry, I..I..I..I didn’t see you there,” he quickly apologised, clearly flustered. “Rana, are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” she assured both Kate and Craig. “More to the point, are you?”

“Yeah,” Craig answered with nervous, darting eyes.

“Craig....” Kate said his name in a slow warning tone. “What’s happened?”

“Nothing, I..I..” he started to protest before he let out a resigned sigh. “I told him not to do it but he didn’t listen! I’m sorry, Kate, I really did try – I gotta go!” He rushed out before he made a swift exit down the street.

“Weird, I wonder what that was about.” Rana queried before realisation dawned on Kate.

“Wait a minute...I’m gonna flamin’ kill ‘im!” Kate fumed as she ran up the stairs two at a time. “RYAN? RYAN?! Where are you, ya little toe-rag?” she yelled and came to a stop at the dinner table. 

Every scrap of the dinner for two she had made especially for herself and Rana had been devoured, by Ryan.

“Oh, hiya cuz!” Ryan cheerfully greeted his cousin as he reclined on the sofa in just his boxer shorts. Rana entered the flat and immediately turned away at the sight.

“Don’t you ‘hiya’ me – why did you eat that curry?” she stood with her hands on her hips. “I specifically told you that that was for me and Rana!”

“Uh, no, you didn’t.”

“Uh, yes, I did!”

“Oh, well, I didn’t hear you,” he shrugged nonchalantly. “Ey, you know what, that weren’t half bad, that – not really enough though,” he complained and leapt off the sofa when Kate lunged for him. “Whoa, easy!”

“Babe, stop it! It’s fine, we can go and visit Yasmeen – she’s always saying she cooks too much and we’re always welcome,” Rana tried to diffuse the situation and gently rubbed the tops of her girlfriend’s arms.

“That’s not the point,” Kate mumbled.

“That sounds great, I’m starving!” Ryan declared but soon held his hands up when Kate drew her foot back as if to kick him in the balls. “Calm down, I’m just kidding!” He chuckled and sauntered off into his room.

“He seriously needs to do one!” Kate complained and followed Rana out of the door as they headed towards Yasmeen’s.

________________________________________________________________

“Girls; what a lovely surprise!” Yasmeen beamed at the visitors on her doorstep and waved them in. “Come in, come in – I was just about to eat and of course I’ve made too much. Won’t you join me?” 

“See, I told you,” Rana whispered to her girlfriend and closed the door behind them. They followed Yasmeen and their eyes widened at the sheer amount of food adorning the counter and dining table – she wasn’t kidding about making too much.

“Dig in and help yourself,” Yasmeen handed them both a plate.

“Have you cooked this just for yourself?” Kate questioned with wide eyes. “Wait, Alya’s not here, is she?”

“No, she’s working late tonight – something about the wrong order being delivered. I doubt she’ll be home anytime soon,” Yasmeen explained. “But don’t worry about her; Alya is...Ayla – there’s no talking to her sometimes, as well you know.”

“Only too well,” Kate agreed and sat down next to Rana, the two automatically sitting closer together with their shoulders almost touching.

“So, what brings you two here?” Yasmeen asked. “Not that I’m complaining, you know that I would love to see more of the both of you.”

“It’s Ryan,” Kate huffed. “Again.”

“Ah,” Yasmeen nodded – she’d heard all about the younger Connor’s inconsiderate behaviour. “Dare I ask what he’s done now?”

“More like; what hasn’t he done?” Kate sighed in exasperation and Rana dropped a hand to gently rub her thigh. “He’s not a bad lad, not really, he just doesn’t think sometimes,” she said and filled the older woman in on his recent behaviour. 

“Oh, dear. Well, it’s like I told you before; you are always welcome here and you may treat my house as if it is yours,” Yasmeen reminded them. “In fact, why don’t you stay here for a few days, have a break from Ryan.”

Kate and Rana shared a look of surprise before Rana spoke; “that’s very generous but what about Alya?”

“Don’t worry about my granddaughter; she’ll come around eventually.”

“It’s been two years!” Rana reminded her. 

“Like, I said; eventually,” Yasmeen shrugged and began to clear the empty plates. “Well, the offer still stands. Won’t you think about it and let me know?” She asked and placed the cutlery in the sink. “Now, who has room for dessert?” 

________________________________________________________________

“Is it possible to die from eating too much? I feel like I’m gonna burst at the seams!” Kate dodged Rana’s fingers as she poked at her sides. “Oi, stop it!” She grabbed her hands and held them within her own.

“And you say that I’m the drama queen?” Rana teased and unlocked the door to their flat. “Wait, do you hear that?”

“What?” Kate automatically moved in front of Rana just in case there was intruder. 

“No,” Rana giggled and pulled Kate up the stairs. “I meant, it’s silent, which means we’ve got the flat to ourselves,” she said and pulled Kate closer for a lust filled kiss. She licked Kate’s top lip before she slipped her tongue into her mouth and ended the kiss by trapping Kate’s bottom lip between her teeth and gently tugging. “I think we should have a shower and an early night, don’t you?”

“Good idea, you get the shower started and I’ll double check that we’re definitely alone,” Kate hurried to Craig’s door and knocked. After she received no answer, she repeated the action on Ryan’s door. 

Satisfied that they were alone, she followed her girlfriend into the bathroom. She locked the bathroom door, undressed in record speed and quickly joined Rana under the spray. 

“What?” she asked a giggling Rana and pressed her back against the cool tiles.

“Are you in a hurry?” Rana teased when Kate immediately slipped a thigh between her own and began to pepper her neck with kisses.

“There’s no time to waste,” Kate lifted her head to kiss Rana’s lips, “we might experience ‘clitoris interruptus’. Remember those days, when we only had time for quickie in our break? God, that was so frustrating,” she complained before she dropped her mouth to kiss along Rana’s collarbone. 

She kissed a line downwards until she reached her nipples and pulled the stiffened peak into her mouth. Rana responded by threading her hands in Kate’s hair and arching her back while her hips moved in a circular motion against Kate’s strong thigh. 

Kate could feel the moisture against her leg and knew it had nothing to do with the water from the shower. Rana pulled Kate’s head up for another kiss and held her in place with one hand whilst the other made its way between her girlfriend’s legs and she delighted in the wetness that greeted her.

Kate broke the kiss and rested her forehead against Rana’s. “Together?” she asked and gently probed two fingers at Rana’s entrance.

“Together,” Rana agreed and the two women shared a groan of delight at the feeling of being so deliciously filled. They moved together as if they were one entity and it was unclear where one began and the other ended.

It always felt like that, Kate mused, being with Rana. It was the first time that she had experienced a connection and love so powerful and she knew with every fibre of her being that Rana was ‘the one’. 

She knew that she was extremely lucky to have found someone as wonderful as Rana, who felt the exact same way and they both knew that they had found their soul mate in each other. 

“I love you,” Kate whispered into Rana’s ear and it was all Rana needed to tumble over the edge, with Kate following shortly after.

Rana took a few deep breaths to regulate her breathing and calm down her wildly beating heart before she pulled Kate closer and rested their foreheads together. 

“I love you too.”

________________________________________________________________

Sometime later, the two satiated women were snuggled up in bed; Kate was on her back and Rana was using her chest as a pillow, her eyes slowly closing as Kate ran her fingers softly through her hair.

A sudden noise startled them and they quickly sprang upright but soon laid back down when they realised who it was. Kate continued to run her fingers through her girlfriend’s luscious locks and Rana threw a leg over Kate’s hips as she snuggled further into her embrace. 

“Well, the peace was nice while it lasted,” Kate grumbled and pressed a kiss to Rana’s hairline. “Fuck sake,” she muttered when the unmistakable sounds of bed springs and groaning could be heard from Ryan’s room. “This flat is not big enough for four people - we really need to get a place of our own,” she huffed but was met with the sounds of Rana’s soft, even breathing. 

She pressed another kiss to Rana’s head before she closed her eyes and joined her girlfriend in slumber.

________________________________________________________________

Kate exited her room and tiredly slumped down at the table. She smiled up at Rana as she placed a mug of tea and a plate of jam on toast (cut into heart shapes, of course) in front of her. “Aw, thanks babe,” she leaned up for a kiss and pulled the petite woman onto her lap.

“Hey, where’s mine?” Ryan questioned as he left his room. His hair was sticking up all over the place and as usual, he hadn’t bothered to get dressed – Rana wondered if he even wore clothes as he always seemed to be in his boxers, a sight that was unpleasant at the best of times, let alone at breakfast.

“Get it yourself, ya lazy git,” Kate snapped and held the toast up to Rana’s waiting mouth before she took her own bite. 

Craig was next to leave his room and from the looks of his dishevelled appearance, didn’t get much sleep either.

“There’s a brew going if you want one, Craig,” Rana nodded her head to the kettle and sipped at her own tea. She settled more comfortably onto Kate’s lap and slung an arm around her shoulder.

“Oi, that’s blatant favouritism, that is!” Ryan complained and dropped four slices of bread into the toaster. “That’s the last of the bread, by the way,” he informed them and Craig passively sighed as he reached for the cereal and did his best to avoid looking at the clutter and mess along the counter top.

“Oi, I hope that’s not all for you!” Kate frowned.

“No, I’ve got company,” he waggled his eyebrows and tongued his cheek.

“We know!” The trio chorused with a sigh.

“Sorry, we’ll uh, try and keep it down next time,” he smirked smugly as he buttered his toast.

“Ha! Yeah, I wouldn’t count on a ‘next time’; it sounded like she was faking it to me!” Kate spoke in a stage whisper and sipped her tea.

“Yeah, well, you would know,” Ryan retorted and Kate scoffed.

“Mate, trust me, if you’d ever heard a real orgasm, then you would definitely know that she was faking!” Kate guffawed, completely unfazed by his attempts at banter. She was extremely confident in her skills and she definitely knew that Rana had no complaints.

The door to Ryan’s bedroom suddenly opened and a skinny blonde emerged, wearing one of Ryan’s t shirts. The young woman was all teeth and tits and Kate, Rana and Craig quickly averted their eyes at the sight; Craig paid special attention to his cereal bowl, while Kate nuzzled into her girlfriend’s shoulder and Rana hid behind her mug. 

“Oh, I was just about to bring this in to ya,” Ryan held up the plate of toast and the four roommates watched in amazement as their ‘guest’ proceeded to devour all four slices in quick succession.

“Cheers!” She spoke around a mouthful of food. “Aw, are you’s two a couple?” she pointed a butter covered finger at Kate and Rana. “I love lesbians, me; my big sister’s one. D’ya know ‘er?” she asked and noisily sucked the butter from her fingers.

“Probably not,” Rana smiled politely and tapped Kate’s leg as she climbed off of her lap. “I’d better get ready for work,” she said and ran a hand through her hair.

“Her name’s Imogen Pascoe; blonde hair, only got one arm,” the young woman continued and Kate and Rana froze.

“Errr, doesn’t ring a bell, does it babe?” Rana asked with wide eyes and Kate quickly shook her head. “Nice to meet, ya, bye!” Rana hurriedly pulled Kate into their room. “Oh my god! What’re the chances?! Can you imagine if she invites her sister over? We’d never hear the end of Imogen’s gloating.” 

“Well, knowing Ryan and his ever revolving door of girls, we’ll probably never see this one again,” Kate sat on the bed as she watched Rana ready herself for work.

“Ugh, he’s disgusting,” Rana grimaced and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. “We really need our own place.” 

End of chapter one.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for all the comments and kudo - I really appreciate the feedback. I hope you enjoy this chapter, too. :)

New beginnings.

Chapter two.

“So, I’ve just got off the phone to my dad,” Kate spoke into her phone. She was taking a quick break from her shift at the Bistro when Johnny had called and after hanging up, Kate had immediately called her girlfriend. “Apparently, he knows a bloke, who knows a bloke, in property. Dad said this bloke’s owed him a favour for ages and he’d let him know when something becomes available, and guess what?” 

“You’re not serious?”

“Completely. It’s one of those new-build flats in Victoria Street and we’ve got a viewing this afternoon! Dad said all we have to do is view it and if we like it, it’s ours.”

“You’re such a daddy’s girl,” Rana teased but Kate could tell her tone was tinged with longing for the same relationship with her own father. 

Hassan Habeeb had kept his word of disowning his daughter and had not contacted her in years; something which Kate knew hurt Rana deeply, despite the fact that he and his wife, Saira, were atrocious people. 

Kate had promised Rana that her family was hers too and had been delighted when the Connor’s had welcomed Rana with open arms, Johnny and Jenny in particular adored her and the positive influence she brought to Kate’s life.

“So, do you think you can get away for four o’clock?” Kate asked and looked up when Michelle entered the office. The older woman proceeded to tap her watch to indicate Kate’s break was up.

“Yeah, it should be fine - I’ve not got too many patients left.”

“Alright, babe, I’ve gotta go. So, I’ll meet you outside the medical centre just before four. Bye, I love you.”

“Love you too,” Rana said and ended the call.

“Is everything okay?” Michelle asked. She had been concerned when Kate had told her that she needed to take an urgent phone call from Johnny and had been itching to ask for details. 

“Yep, all good,” Kate pocketed her phone and stood up from the sofa. “Rana and I are going flat hunting after work.”

“Why, what’s wrong with your current flat?” Michelle questioned.

“Uh, one word, two syllables; Ry-an, aka, pain in the flamin’ arse!” Kate explained and Michelle frowned as she followed her cousin out of the office.

“Still? I’ve already spoken to him about his behaviour,” Michelle shook her head in annoyance at her son. “I’ll speak to him again,” she promised.

“I don’t think it’ll make a difference, but thanks for trying,” Kate shrugged and grabbed a cloth to start cleaning tables before the lunch time rush began to flood in.

________________________________________________________________

“So, this is the very stylish kitchen-come-lounge. As you can see there’s not much in the way of space but you’ll probably find it’s big enough for the two of you,” the estate agent showed Kate, Rana and Johnny around the flat. 

As promised, the property was a new build, two bedroom flat on Victoria Street and Kate and Rana had immediately fallen in love with the extremely trendy and modern property. 

The flats furnishings and decor consisted of mostly neutral colours, which suited the couple as it allowed them to put their own personal tastes on the finishing touches. The two women held hands as they took in their surroundings and imagined themselves living there.

“The master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and is just down the hall on the left, the second bedroom is quite a bit smaller and is opposite the main bedroom on the right and the main bathroom is next to the second bedroom. So, shall I leave you two to look around?” He asked and if they were being honest, they were glad to be out of his company. 

He was talking to them pleasantly enough but his roving eyes when he thought they (and Johnny) weren’t looking had made them a bit uncomfortable.

“You go ahead, girls; I’ll stay out here with Chris; I think we’re long overdue a chat, right pal?” Johnny smiled toothily at the estate agent as he clapped a hand on his shoulder and Kate noticed a hint of threat in his eye. Perhaps he had noticed the looks, after all.

Kate led Rana by the hand and they entered the main bedroom. “So, what do you think?” Kate closed the door and grinned widely at her girlfriend. “Do you love it as much as I do? Please say yes,” she pleaded and leaned against the closed door.

“Yeah, I do,” Rana agreed and sat down on the bed. “I could really see us living here. Just imagine; our own space to use as we please, no fighting for the bathroom, and no dirty toilet after your smelly cousin has used it.”

“Ugh!” Kate stuck her tongue out in disgust. “I swear, if he does that again, I’m gonna threaten to clean the loo with his toothbrush!” She said and pushed off the door to join her girlfriend on the bed. “It’s interesting that the first room we check out is the master bedroom; what do you think that says about our relationship?” 

“Mmm, I seem to recall the bathroom is also a popular location,” Rana bumped her shoulder against Kate’s. “And my office, and the van; well, almost. The office at the Bistro, Yasmeen’s sofa, the ginnel....”

“Babe, any time, any place; you know that,” Kate flirted and took Rana’s hand as she stood. “C’mon, let’s check out the other rooms.”

________________________________________________________________

“Okay, if you could both just sign here and here, it’s all yours,” the estate agent handed Kate and Rana several sheets of paper.

“Wait, is that it? It seems too easy, what’s the catch?” Kate asked with narrowed eyes.

“There’s no catch, Kate, I told you; let your old man sort it out. Everything’s done, you two just need to sign and I’ll take care of the rest,” Johnny informed them and tapped a finger against the papers. 

Kate looked at him with uncertainty in her eyes but took the offered pen and signed her name before handed it to Rana, who did the same.

“Welcome to your new home!”

________________________________________________________________

“This is ridiculous, how much stuff have you got?” Daniel complained as he helped Kate and Rana load their belongings into the van-formally-known-as-the-Speed-Daal-van. “Aww, you guys are so cute,” he cooed sweetly and lifted up the matching ‘K’ and ‘R’ suitcases.

Originally, Zeedan had wanted to sell the van but after Rana had reminded him that she had bought the van and the licence and paperwork were all in her name, he changed his mind. He had muttered something about not understanding why it was so important to keep it, but she decided against telling him the real reason she and Kate were so attached to it.

Kate and Rana had asked Kevin to service it and restore it back to its original design (although they did ask him to leave the counter in the back intact and again, didn’t feel the need to give him the reason why.) The restoration hadn’t been cheap but the couple decided it had been worth it.

“Why do you even need to use the van, anyway? You’re only going around the flippin’ corner!” Daniel continued to complain and pushed his floppy fringe away from his face.

“You’re welcome to carry it, Daniel,” Kate slugged him in the shoulder and he let out a loud yelp. “Oh, whatever, that did not hurt,” she shoved him again and he held his hands out to protect himself from the playful onslaught. 

“Rana, help me,” he pleaded but she simply shrugged and carried on loading the van. “Wow,” he huffed but the two stopped their antics when they saw Robert glaring. “Even out of work he’s scary,” Daniel whispered and Kate struggled to suppress a giggle. 

“Right, I think that’s it,” Rana announced and closed the van doors. “Any volunteers in helping us unload the stuff? There’s a free drink at ‘The Rovers’ for those that help...” she said in a sing-song and wasn’t surprised to see the majority of their friends and family quickly agree. “Okay, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go to the pub,” she said and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Is she always this bossy?” Daniel whispered to Kate.

“Mmmm, you have no idea,” she replied dreamily.

________________________________________________________________

As well as Daniel and Robert, they had enlisted the help of Gemma, the entire Connor’s and Craig. 

In no time at all, the van had been unloaded and all the furniture had been allocated to the correct rooms and all the unpacked boxes were being temporarily stored in the spare bedroom for the time being. 

Everyone had left except for Kate and Rana and bizarrely, Beth and Kirk, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. 

“Right then, pub is it? I seem to remember being promised a free drink,” Beth rubbed her hands together. 

How she had managed to wangle her way into the flat was anyone’s guess and she certainly hadn’t been invited to help with the moving, not that she would’ve lifted a finger to help anyway, but that was beside the point.

“C’mon, Kirky - I’m gonna order myself a bottle of expensive wine,” she continued as she pulled him towards the door. “I’ve heard that nurses these days earn a fortune!”

“I don’t think that’s what the girls meant by a free drink,” as always, Kirk was perpetually confused.

“You reckon? I could easily drink a whole bottle by myself, in one go; just you watch!” Beth loudly announced, her booming voice echoed in the stairwell.

“I’m sure you could but that still doesn’t count as one drink, though,” Kirk continued, “and I don’t think you should take advantage of their generosity,”

“Alright, Kirky, calm down, will ya? I were only ‘avin’ a laugh.”

Kate and Rana stifled an incredulous giggle at the pair before Kate shut the door and pulled her girlfriend in for a hug, her strong arms fully engulfing the smaller woman’s tiny frame. 

“Reckon Beth’s run up a tab by now?” Kate spoke against Rana’s neck and breathed in her intoxicating scent.

“Oh god, probably,” Rana sighed but made no move to entangle herself from Kate’s arms. “Mmm, I’ve been waiting all day to have you all to myself.”

“Me too,” Kate agreed and pressed a kiss to Rana’s neck, “do you reckon we can get out of going to the pub? We do have a lot of rooms to christen,” Kate raised a cheeky eyebrow and Rana pulled her closer for a kiss.

“And a shower, bath, sofa and plenty of counters,” Rana whispered against Kate’s lips and she groaned in response.

“You are not helping,” she complained and kissed Rana again, this time more fervently and gently nibbled her bottom lip.

“Mmm, didn’t anyone ever tell you that patience is a virtue, Miss Connor?” Rana teased and spoke her words against Kate’s lips. “But we do have quite a lot to... ‘unpack’, and I’m not a patient person,” she raised an eyebrow and slid her hands into the back pocket of Kate’s jeans to squeeze her bum. “Why don’t you text Carla and tell her we can’t make it - get her to tell Leanne we’ll pay off the tab tomorrow?” Rana spoke in the tone of voice that she knew would get Kate to do whatever she wanted and Kate immediately texted her sister. 

“So, where do you want to start?”

“How about; right here?” Rana suggested and pulled a giggling Kate down to the aptly named shag pile rug.

________________________________________________________________

“Okay, enjoy your meals!” Kate offered the customers an easy smile and then quickly headed to the office when she felt her phone buzz in the pocket of her apron. 

Michelle watched her cousin with curious eyes – she was definitely up to something and Michelle wanted to know what was going on. If Michelle knew Kate as well as she thought she did, she’d be able to tell if she was lying so she decided that she was just going to jump straight in and ask her outright. 

She opened the door to the office and a startled Kate quickly ended her phone call and stood up from the sofa.

“Err, you’re not on a break yet, who’re you calling?”

“I need to take the rest of the afternoon off,” Kate quickly stated and began to untie her apron.

“Oh, aye, is that right? Well, you may think that you can treat this place like a walk in centre, but you’re wrong. I’ve already given you half the week off so that you and Rana can settle into your new flat...” she trailed off and looked at Kate with suspicious eyes, “wait a minute, is it to meet up with Rana? Because if it is...”

“It’s not, I swear!”

“Okay then, is it a matter of life or death?”

“It might be if you don’t let me bloody leave!”

“Oi, less of the cheek, thank you!” Michelle scolded and Kate huffed. “C’mon, I’m not letting you leave until you tell me so you might as well just spit it out.”

“Fine,” Kate let out a resigned sigh, “but you’ve got to promise you won’t say a word to Rana.”

“I won’t,” Michelle promised.

________________________________________________________________

“Ey, up, is Michelle in?” Carla asked the waiter (whose name she could never remember) behind the bar. He was just about to answer when Michelle and Kate came rushing out of the office. “Where’s the fire?”

“Carla, we’re on our way into town, Matt – if Robert asks, we’ve just popped out for a bit.” Michelle said and she and Kate practically raced to the door.

“Seriously, what’s going on?” Carla asked and struggled to match their pace.

“We’ll explain on the way,” Michelle promised. “You’re driving.”

________________________________________________________________

Carla parked her black Mercedes outside of the classy looking shop and looked at her sister via the rear-view mirror. “Are you ready, chick?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Yeah,” Kate took a deep breath and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear before she opened the car door. Carla pressed the remote on her key ring to lock her car and she and Michelle followed Kate into the shop.

Carla and Michelle took a seat in the waiting area while Kate walked straight up to the counter and waited as the middle aged woman finished writing in the ledger.

“Good afternoon, how may I help?”

“Um, hi, Kate Connor – we spoke on the phone?”

“Yes of course,” the woman smiled politely, “hello, Ms Connor, I’ll just be one moment,” she disappeared through to the back room and Kate took a few deep calming breaths to steady her nerves.

“You look like you’re gonna pass out! Do you need a brown paper bag?” Carla quipped from her seat next to Michelle, who snorted and nudged her elbow. 

Kate was about to retort with a smart remark when the shop owner returned. Carla and Michelle quickly rose to their feet to get a better look at the item Kate was collecting and scurried toward the counter.

The shop owner opened the box and all three women gasped at the sheer beauty of the engagement ring nestled inside.

 

End of chapter two.


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! As always, thanks for all the comments and kudos - you're all so lovely. :) 
> 
> Did someone order 'dreamboat Kate'.....? ;)

New beginnings.

Chapter three.

After leaving the jewellers, the three Connor women were sat in Carla’s stationary car. Kate held the box within her hands and continued to stare at the stunning ring. 

She had been searching for the perfect ring for three months and had finally found it. She had fallen in love with the delicate 14 carat white gold, aquamarine diamond ring as soon as she had laid eyes on it and knew it was the one. 

The band was half covered in alternate white and aquamarine diamonds and a larger round, aquamarine diamond sat proudly in the centre.

“Flippin’ ‘eck, lemme see that again?” Michelle’s voice broke the trance Kate was in and she held the box toward her cousin but didn’t let it go. “Look at the size of that rock!” Michelle gushed and reached out to pat Kate’s knee from her position in the passenger’s seat. “Rana is going to love it.”

“Do you think she’ll say yes?” Kate asked and her sister and cousin immediately laughed at her absurd question.

“Of course she will, hun,” Carla shifted in the driver’s seat to look at her little sister. “Are you going to ask tonight, once Johnny and Jenny have left?” she asked and Kate frowned in confusion. “You do remember that you invited them over for dinner, right?”

“Oh shit!”

“I think that means no.” Michelle pulled her lips together in amusement. “So, come on, when are you going to ask?”

“Not tonight,” Kate answered distractedly; her attention back on the ring. “I’ll do it soon; I just need to make some arrangements first.” 

________________________________________________________________

Rana sang and danced along to the music on her Spotify playlist as she put the finishing touches to the pasta bake she was preparing and she almost jumped a foot in the air when she saw that Kate was standing behind her.

“Way to sneak up on me, babe; you almost scared me half to death!” She lightly swatted her with the tea towel.

“Aw, don’t stop on my account,” Kate sauntered closer. “I was enjoying that, especially that little hip and bum wiggle action you had goin’!”

“Shut up,” Rana mumbled bashfully and accepted the offered hug and kiss from her girlfriend. “You were supposed to be home ages ago,” Rana complained and pulled back from the hug but maintained their physical contact through their joined hands.

“I know,” Kate tried to keep her face neutral, “Michelle made me stay late.”

“You’re such a bad liar,” Rana accused and fixed Kate with a stern look.

“What?” Kate laughed nervously.

“I know what you’re up to, Kate Connor; you offered to stay later so that you could get out of helping me cook, didn’t you?” Rana continued her stare before she started to laugh.

“You’ve got me there!” Kate joined in with the laughter and let out a deep exhale when Rana turned away to check on the meal in the oven. “I’ll be on salad duty, I swear.”

“Yeah, and washing up duty.” Rana straightened up and pulled Kate closer for a quick peck on the lips. “You’d better have a shower and get changed; you’ve got about fifteen minutes until they get here.” 

“I can think of something a lot more fun to do in fifteen minutes,” Kate flirted and pulled Rana closer by the hips.

“I’m sure you can,” Rana’s feeble attempt at resisting was lost in the moan that bubbled from her throat when Kate kissed her in the way that made her toes curl. “But you really should get ready,” she tried again but Kate was persistent and boosted Rana up on to the kitchen counter. “Babe, we really don’t have time; your dad will be here any minute.” 

Rana’s words hit Kate like a bucket of ice cold water and she groaned in frustration as she dropped her head to Rana’s thigh.

“Who decided it was a good idea to invite them over?”

“You did,” Rana reminded her and gently threaded her fingers through her hair. “You said you wanted to thank your dad for helping us out with the flat.”

“I should’ve bought him a bottle of his favourite whiskey instead,” Kate grumbled through a pout.

“Aw,” Rana teasingly flicked Kate’s protruding bottom lip. “You’ve still got time to have a shower - better make it a cold one!” she said and hopped off the counter.

________________________________________________________________

“Rana, this is delicious,” Jenny forked another bite of pasta bake into her mouth, “is it your own recipe?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty simple. I’ll give you the recipe if you like?” Rana offered Jenny a top up of wine. 

Johnny tutted as his daughter’s phone continued to beep and dance with the bombardment of messages. “Can’t you switch that thing off? Who is it, anyway?” 

“No one!” Kate answered a little too quickly. 

Carla and Michelle seemed to be working as a tag team by sending her messages asking if she had ‘popped the question, yet?!’ She hurriedly messaged back; ‘not yet – stop messaging me!’ and switched her phone to ‘do not disturb’ before she laid it face down on the table. 

“So, how was your day? Did you do anything interesting?” Jenny asked her step-daughter, who was doing a good job of impersonating a rabbit caught in the headlights.

“Er, not really, no - just worked.” Kate shrugged noncommittally. Why was everyone staring at her and did the room really need to be this hot?! She caught Rana staring at her in amusement and looked at her curiously.

“Who’s for dessert? We’ve got cheesecake; it’s shop bought, I’m afraid. Kate, give me hand?” Rana asked and cleared the plates. “I know exactly what’s going on, you know,” she whispered when they were out of earshot from Johnny and Jenny.

“You what?” Kate rinsed the dishes and placed them in the sink while Rana took the raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake from the fridge and dished a generous portion onto four plates.

“You’re still worked up from before,” Rana clarified, a teasing lilt to her voice. “It’s your own fault, babe; I did tell you we didn’t have time, so you shouldn’t have started something you couldn’t finish,” she spoke in a hushed voice. “But you’d better finish it tonight,” she whispered into her ear before she walked back to their guests and left a flushed and incoherent Kate in the kitchen.

________________________________________________________________

Rana saved the patients report on her computer and checked the time on her upside down watch. She had five minutes left before the end of her shift and since she had no more patients to see, she decided to call it a day and surprise Kate at the Bistro. 

With Rana working extra shifts at the medical centre and walk in clinic, whilst Kate’s shift pattern had consisted of lunch time starts and late finishes, the couple had barely seen each other for the last couple of weeks and the two women were both experiencing withdrawal symptoms of the others company. 

She was just gathering her things as the phone on her desk rang. 

“Hello?” She cradled the phone between her shoulder and ear and began to shut down her computer.

“Nurse Nazir, you’re needed at the reception desk. Quick as you can please - it’s a matter of urgency,” Moira spoke on the other line and Rana rolled her eyes at the dramatics.

“I’ll be out in a sec,” she hung up the phone and left her office. 

“Ah, there you are!” Moira smiled wildly and motioned toward the delivery man. “This handsome young gentleman requires your signature,” she explained. “Take as long as you like; we’re just getting acquainted” she whispered to the nurse before she leaned over the desk and smiled coquettishly at the man.

Rana shook her head at the practice manager’s desperate and embarrassing behaviour. She signed for the huge bunch of flowers and the delivery man practically bolted for the door.

“Bye!” Moira waved him off but he wasn’t looking, “he must have a lot of deliveries to make,” she said and looked at the beautiful flowers. “If you want my opinion, she’s either done something, wants something, or is about to do something,” Moira deduced and tried to peek at the card on the bouquet.

“I don’t want your opinion,” Rana answered distractedly and walked back into her office to read the card in private.

“Well I never!” Moira spluttered and turned to look at Liz, who did her best to stifle a chuckle. 

Rana closed her office door and arranged the bouquet in the vase on the corner of her desk. She removed the card from its small envelope and read it; “Roses are red; violets are blue, head to the rovers, there’s a drink waiting for you. XX” 

________________________________________________________________

Rana entered the rovers and immediately looked around for her girlfriend and frowned when she was nowhere to be seen. She gave up the search and smiled at Sarah as she approached the bar. 

“Hiya, is Kate here?” 

“No, but she told me to give you this,” Sarah placed a glass of red wine onto the bar, “and this,” she handed Rana a sealed envelope.

“What’s this?” Rana asked and turned it over in her hand. 

“I don’t know,” Sarah replied, “I was given strict instructions not to read it, and since she’s a Connor, I thought it best to do as I’m told,” Sarah explained and quickly waved Rana’s money away. “Don’t worry; it’s all paid for,” she said and turned to serve the next customer.

Rana took a seat in the booth opposite the bar and opened the envelope as she sipped her wine.

‘Hi, babe. Since you’re reading this, you’ve probably figured out that I’m not at the rovers and you might be wondering where I am. Well, I’m not going to tell you and instead, I’m going to give you some clues. But before you read any further; ‘DON’T LET ANYONE ELSE READ THE NEXT SENTENCE!’ 

Rana quickly checked over her shoulder and unfolded the piece of paper.

‘Roses are red; violets are blue, head to the place where I first went down on you. XX’

Rana almost spat her wine out at Kate’s cheeky words and quickly finished her drink before she folded the paper into her handbag and made her way to Michelle’s flat.

________________________________________________________________

Michelle buzzed Rana up via the intercom and let the nurse in when she knocked on her door.

“Hiya, Rana love, are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she smiled and looked around the room.

“Kate’s not here but she asked me to give you this,” Michelle said and handed Rana an identical envelope to the one Sarah had given her. 

“You know what she’s up to, don’t you?” Rana playfully narrowed her eyes and Michelle raised her hands in surrender.

“I’m just following orders,” Michelle insisted but Rana wasn’t convinced. 

She briefly wondered if the note was the same content as the first and cautiously opened it. 

‘Hi babe, I hope you’re enjoying the clues because here’s another (and it’s safe to read it in front of Michelle!) Roses are red; violets are blue, this person’s got a smart head, according to you. XX’

________________________________________________________________

“Hi, you alright? Come in!” Sophie cheerfully greeted and waved Rana inside her home.

Rana paused when she took in the shocking appearance of Rosie Webster. The older Webster sister’s mouth had been taped shut and her hands were bound with over sized oven gloves and held together with the same scotch tape that was over her mouth. To say she looked livid would be an understatement.

“Oh, don’t mind her; Kate asked me to give you this and she didn’t trust Rosie to not read it and blab, so she asked me to keep it from her.” Sophie explained and Rana’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

“Kate asked you to do that?!”

“Oh no, that were all me,” Sophie proudly declared and handed the envelope to Rana. “What’s that, Rosie? That’s right; it will fix your severe moustache problem. You what? Aw, I love you too.”

Rana turned away in amusement and opened the letter.

‘Hi babe. Since you’re reading this, I’m going to assume that Sophie did a good job of keeping this away from Rosie. If not; STOP READING THIS ROSIE AND DO ONE! Anyway, I’ve got another clue for you to solve. Don’t worry, there won’t be many more and I promise it’ll all be worth it. Roses are red; violets are blue, I’d save my last rolo especially for you. XX’ 

Rana re-read the clue a couple of times before it finally clicked where her next destination was. She thanked the sisters before she made her way to The Kabin.

________________________________________________________________

The bell above the Kabin door rang and Rita greeted Rana with a welcoming smile.

“‘Ello, love? How’re you?”

“Hi Rita, I’m fine thanks,” Rana returned the smile and looked around the shop.

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” Rita asked and for a moment, Rana thought she had solved the clue incorrectly, until the shopkeeper spoke again. “A packet of Rolos, perhaps? Here you are love, it’s all paid for,” Rita handed Rana the chocolate and another plain white envelope. “‘Ey you’ve got a goodun there – you’re both very lucky to have one another. You might not have gone about it in the right way, mind, but most folk ‘round here have all done summat scandalous and certainly don’t have the right to judge.” 

“Thank you,” Rana took the items and opened the envelope.

‘Hi babe, I hope you’re enjoying the chocolates? Don’t eat them all at once though; I know what you’re like! Are you ready for your next clue? There’s not many more, I promise. Ready? Roses are red; violets are blue, her name rhymes with Queen and she adores you. XX’

Rana immediately knew her next destination and slipped the envelope and chocolates into her handbag. 

“Thanks Rita.”

“You’re welcome, ta’ra love.”

________________________________________________________________

Rana let herself into number 6, Coronation Street and locked the door behind her. “Helllooo?” she called out as she entered the living room. She dropped her handbag onto the sofa and was soon greeted by Yasmeen.

“I thought I heard you come in,” Yasmeen pulled her into a quick hug.

“Is Kate here?” Rana asked and Yasmeen simply smiled and shrugged. “You know what she’s up to, don’t you?” she playfully accused.

“I know nothing of the sort,” Yasmeen protested with the same twinkle in her eye that Michelle had, and Rana wasn’t convinced. “I have been instructed to give you this - I’ll leave you to it,” she gave Rana the envelope and disappeared upstairs to sneakily watch from her bedroom window. 

‘Hi babe. This is the last clue, I promise, so I’ll just get straight to it. Roses are red; violets are blue, come and look at the stars, they’re shining for you. XX’

Rana opened the patio doors that led to the back garden and stepped outside, and there, in all her glory and surrounded by fairy lights (which she assumed were the ‘stars’ in Kate’s clue), was Kate. 

She was dressed in the tight pinstripe trousers that drove Rana wild and a simple, but classy, white blouse. Rana noted that she was dressed far too fancy for drinks in the Rovers and wondered what other surprise her girlfriend had in store for her.

“Hi babe,” Kate smiled widely, “you finally made it then?”

“You couldn’t have just texted me to meet you here, like a normal person, ey?” Rana teased and Kate giggled.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Kate shrugged and offered her girlfriend a cheeky wink. “Besides, I bought you wine and your favourite chocolate, what more do you want?”

“Yeah, yeah; you’re the perfect girlfriend!” Rana stuck her tongue out in jest and Kate paused as her expression suddenly turned serious.

“How about;....perfect fiancée?” Kate asked and Rana sucked in a breath when Kate dropped to one knee. “I have a speech.”

“Okay,” Rana managed a whisper.

“Before I met you, I didn’t really believe in soul mates or ‘the one’. I meant it when I said I wasn’t a gushy person but I now know that I just hadn’t met the right woman; the woman of my dreams, the one, my soul mate and the woman whom I want to spend the rest of my life with....and that’s you. I made a promise to do everything that I can to make you happy and I intend to fulfil that promise every day, for the rest of my life, if you’ll let me. So, Rana Nazir, will you marry me?” Kate removed the ring from the box and held the delicate and precious jewellery between her thumb and forefinger.

“OH MY GOD, YES!” Rana practically shouted through her sobs. She was so overcome with emotion; her breath was catching in her throat. 

Kate scrambled to her feet and slid the ring onto Rana’s elegant finger before she gently grasped her face and drew her into a tender and loving kiss. 

Her hands cupped Rana’s face and her thumbs caressed her jaw, whilst Rana’s hands slid up Kate’s slender back until her palms rested on her shoulder blades. The kiss ended and the two women rested their foreheads together as they simply enjoyed being in close proximity to one other.

“I knew you were up to something but I didn’t expect this,” Rana said. Both women wiped the tears from their faces before their lips met again. “This ring is so beautiful.”

“A beautiful ring to match my beautiful fiancée,” Kate grinned broadly. “God, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of saying that,” she said before she frowned thoughtfully, “well, until it changes to wife, that is.” 

“I can’t believe you planned all this and I had no idea!” Rana felt the tears start to fall but Kate wiped them away with her thumbs. “This is hands down, the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.”

“Well, I have one more surprise for you; it’s in my pocket,” Kate nudged her hip in Rana’s direction and the nurse looked at her with suspicious eyes.

“I may have been a bit hasty in calling you romantic,” Rana drawled but reached into Kate’s pocket. “What’s this?” she unfolded the brochure and read the information.

“It’s from that hotel we stayed in, in Brighton. They cater for weddings and I thought it might be an option for our wedding venue. I’ve been making enquiries and it looks perfect for us, babe,” Kate explained and Rana nodded before she fixed her fiancée with hooded and hungry eyes.

“Shall we go back to the flat and celebrate?” she suggested and Kate winced. “What?”

“Well, you know all the clues you had to collect from everybody? I didn’t tell them what I was planning but I kinda promised them all a drink if they helped me out,” she explained with a sigh. “They’re waiting for us in the Rovers.”

“Right now? I’m not exactly dressed for it, babe,” Rana protested and pointed to her uniform.

“I thought you might say that, so I brought you a change of clothes. It’s quite a complicated outfit though, so I might need to help you,” she raised a flirty eyebrow and giggled cheekily. 

“Mmm, you really are the perfect fiancée,” Rana purred and pulled Kate closer for another passion filled kiss.

End of chapter three.


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, first of all I want to say a huge thank you to all the comments and kudos for the last chapter - I *never* expected to get such a huge and positive response and to say I'm over the moon, is an understatement! :)

New beginnings.

Chapter four.

Yasmeen watched the entire exchange between Kate and Rana from her bedroom window and celebrated the engagement by doing a fist pump followed by a dance on the spot. 

She quietly crept from her bedroom at the back of the house to the spare bedroom at the front, and moved the nets away from the window to wave to Carla, who was waiting outside the Rovers. 

She gave the other woman a thumbs up signal before she dashed down the stairs and out of the property and made her way to the Rovers.

________________________________________________________________

“Let’s take a selfie,” Kate suggested and pulled out her phone. 

The two women were yet to move from their seat on the garden bench; the fairy lights that Kate had strung up were creating a romantic setting and both of them loved how the other looked with the light dancing on their face. 

Rana moved so that she was sitting sideways on Kate’s lap and wrapped her right arm around her shoulders. She held her left hand up so that the ring was in focus and leaned in close so that they were cheek to cheek and Kate held her in place by wrapping her left arm around her waist.

The angle was a little awkward but Kate managed to position the phone in front of them. She held her thumb down on the camera button and took several burst shots while they moved and struck numerous poses, some with Rana’s left hand on show and some without and the couple ended the sequence by sharing a kiss on the lips and leaning their foreheads together.

The couple browsed through the images and selected their favourites, which was most of them, and Kate promptly posted the photos to ‘friends connected’ with the caption; ‘she said YES!’

Rana shifted so that she moved off of Kate’s lap and extended her hands to her fiancée. 

“I think it’s about time you helped me out with that difficult outfit you were telling me about,” Rana raised a mischievous eyebrow and Kate didn’t need to be asked twice. 

________________________________________________________________

Alya let out a huff of frustration as she walked the short distance from ‘Underworld’ to her home. She had had a nightmare shift at the factory – the girls were disrespectful toward her (as usual) the order that she had finally corrected had arrived late and she had been left to deal with it on her own and then, to top it all off, she had gotten her period two days early.

She quickened her pace as she neared her front door; the thought of a brew and a hot bath had been the only thing that had kept her going throughout the challenging day. 

She pushed her hand through her long, silky hair and rummaged about in her handbag for her keys and groaned in displeasure when she couldn’t find them. 

“Gran?” she knocked on the door and called through the letterbox. After receiving no answer, she decided to head to the Rovers to see if she could locate her there. 

Meanwhile, upstairs at number six;

“Did you hear something?” Rana broke the lust filled kiss and pulled away from Kate. 

“No,” Kate shook her head and pulled Rana closer to resume kiss.

_______________________________________________________________

Alya entered the pub to a chorus of cheers and applause and frowned when the excitement quickly shifted to groans.

“Well, that was a waste of a good cheer,” Sally grumbled and turned to her sister and daughters. “Trust her to ruin it.”

“Ruin what?” Alya asked. Sarah was unwrapping trays of sandwiches and filling nibbles into various bowls, while expensive champagne bottles lined the bar, courtesy of Johnny and Carla. “Is someone celebrating something?” she asked dumbly; if there was a party then why wasn’t she invited? 

“Kate and Rana are engaged!” Yasmeen grasped her granddaughters’ hands in glee but Alya didn’t share her enthusiasm. 

“Yeah, it’s like, all over ‘friends connected’,” Rosie supplied. “The pictures they posted are like totes adorbs – that ring must’ve cost hundreds of thousands!” she said with huge eyes, whilst Sophie rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. 

Alya looked around the pub and raised her eyebrows when she saw that the couple were not in attendance of their own party. “So, where are they, then?” 

_______________________________________________________________

Kate quickly moved her fingers to the buttons on Rana’s uniform and made short work of them before she moved her attention to the nurses’ trousers. 

Rana toed her white trainers off and stepped out of her trousers to leave them in a heap along with her shirt. Kate was just about to get her hands on her sexy fiancée, when she heard her phone ring.

“Oh great, it’s Carla,” Kate grumbled and picked up her phone. “What’re you doing?” she asked when she saw that Rana had begun to get dressed. 

“I think that phone call means we need to take a rain check,” Rana said and tucked her smart blue and white dress shirt into her tight black jeans. Kate sighed and answered the phone.

“Hello? Yes, Carla, we’re coming! CARLA!! No, I mean, we’re on our way! Oh, shut up, bye!” Kate jabbed the screen to end the call and Rana sniggered at the flush that covered her fiancée’s face. “They’re all waiting for us,” she explained and waited for Rana to zip up her boots before she took her hand as they left the house.

_______________________________________________________________

Kate and Rana stepped inside the pub and were surprised to be met with loud cheers from the patrons and were immediately engulfed in a group hug from the entire Connor clan and Yasmeen.

“I do apologise if that was somewhat subdued; it appears we wasted the perfect level of merriment on somebody quite undeserving,” Mary cut her eyes toward a scowling Alya who was sipping an aptly named drink of bitter lemon and soda. 

“No, it was fine and most definitely loud,” Kate replied whilst rubbing her ear. She accepted the hugs from the well wishers before a flute of champagne was thrust into her and Rana’s hands.

“To my precious girl and her beautiful fiancée!” Johnny declared and raised his glass in a toast. Their family and friends followed suit before they began to chatter amongst themselves. “I can’t believe it; my little girl’s getting married!” Johnny gushed and pulled his daughter in for a hug, while Rana was immediately whisked away by people asking to see the ring. 

“Have you decided on a date, yet?” Jenny asked with a slight slur and Kate figured that she had been enjoying the bubbly for quite some time.

“Not yet. I’ve got a few dates in mind, but we’ve not sorted anything yet.”

“What about kids?”

“Dad!”

“What? I’m allowed to ask about grandkids, aren’t I? It’s not like I’m getting any younger is it?”

“We’ve spoken about it,” Kate explained and fondly looked over to Rana who was caught in conversation with Sally and the Webster sisters.

“And?” Johnny prompted and Kate was brought back to the discussion.

“And....it’s something we both want,” Kate explained and cut her dad off before he got too carried away. “But not yet, we’re talking way, way into the future,” Kate said and sipped her champagne. “We’ve got a wedding and honeymoon to pay for, first.” 

“Don’t worry about the cost of the wedding, or the honeymoon for that matter. Nothing’s too much for my little girl – whatever you want, it’s yours,” Johnny looked at Kate with a proud expression and cupped her cheek with one hand. “Seeing you this happy, makes me happy. I just wish your mum and brother were here to see it, too.” 

Kate nodded her agreement and pulled her dad in for a tight hug. A lump formed in her throat as she thought about her beloved family members; her mother whom she wished she knew and remembered and her dearly loved big brother whom she missed every day.

“But, I also know that they wouldn’t want us to be sad, so let’s not be,” he said and kissed her temple as he hugged her tighter.

_______________________________________________________________

“I told you she was up to something, didn’t I? When I saw that gigantic bouquet, I knew it! I should’ve been a psychic.”

“Yes, Moira,” Rana sipped her champagne and caught Kate’s eye to fix her a ‘rescue me’ look. She wasn’t sure how it happened; one minute she had been gushing to Rosie about the romantic proposal and the next thing she knew, Moira had interrupted and began imparting her ‘wisdom’.

Kate immediately took the hint and slid in the booth next to her fiancée. She wrapped an arm around her shoulders and Rana reached up to hold her hand hanging over her shoulder.

“Moira was just saying how she was convinced you were cheating on Rana,” Rosie explained and Kate fixed the practice manager with an expression of incredulity.

“You what?”

“I didn’t quite say it like that though, did I, Miss Webster?” Moira backtracked. “Although, you do have to admit that you Connor’s do have quite the reputation when it comes to infidelity,” she said and both Kate and Rana started to protest.

“Ms Pollack, may I have a word?” 

“Oh, well hello, there Mr Habeeb,” Moira began to twirl her hair around her finger in what she hoped was an alluring manner. “How may I...assist you?”

“Are you familiar with public order section 101?” Imran asked and subtly winked at Kate and Rana.

“Pardon?”

“Because if you were familiar with it, then you’d know that you’re in violation of section 101 and you would also know that slander is a criminal offence, which could lead to jail time.”

“Slander? Oh, for heaven’s sake; Kate knows that I’m just teasing – don’t you?” Moira backpedalled and looked pleadingly at Kate.

“I’m not gonna lie, Moira, the insinuation hurts.” 

“Do I need a lawyer?” Moira suddenly looked pale and Rana cut her eyes to her brother for taking the joke too far.

“I think we can let it slide, just this once,” Imran nodded. “But consider this a warning, because if you do it again....” he raised his eyebrows and left Moira to fill in the blanks.

“Fine! Honestly, everybody’s so sensitive, lately!” Moira protested and flounced off toward the bar.

“That was mean,” Rana told her brother off, who responded by shrugging.

“It was fun, though,” he grinned.

“Wait, so none of that was true?” Rosie asked. 

“Nah, it was a load of bollocks!” Imran chuckled.

“Well, I thought it was hot!” Rosie rested her chin on her fist and stared at Imran with a dreamy expression. 

“Anyway,” Imran turned to look at Rana with wide eyes. “‘May I offer my congratulations to my dear sister, on bagging herself a fox of the highest foxy calibre?” he tapped his glass against Rana’s. “And Kate? Please accept my commiserations on having to put up with my sister!” He teased and roared with laughter when Rana threatened to throw her drink over him.

_______________________________________________________________

“So, who do you think is better in bed; Kate or Rana?” Beth asked Sinead, who gasped at the blunt question.

“Auntie Beth!” Sinead scolded and shushed the older woman.

“What?” Beth shrugged, unperturbed. “Well, just look at them,” she pointed at Kate and Rana who were standing at the bar talking to Carla and Michelle. 

Rana’s left arm was loosely hung around Kate’s shoulders as she played with the fine hairs on the back of her neck, while Kate’s right arm was wrapped around Rana’s waist and hips.

“Neither of them can keep their hands off each other. My Craigy used to tell me how he had to cover his eyes when he walked into the flat, cos he was always catching them goin’ at it,” she raised her eyebrows and took a large mouthful of her pint.

“Are you sure you’re not just making that up?” Sinead accused with narrow eyes.

“Well, I dunno, he said summat like that,” Beth shrugged. “So, come on, answer the question; who do you think is better in bed? My money’s on Kate. I mean, that must be the reason why Rana left her hubby. But then saying that, Rana’s got that ‘naughty nurse’ look about her, aint she?”

“I am not playing this game with ya, Auntie Beth!” Sinead protested and Beth huffed.

“Spoilsport.”

_______________________________________________________________ 

“What do you say we call it a night and continue the party back at ours?” Rana placed her hand on Kate’s thigh and leaned in close to whisper in her ear. The two had moved to the privacy of the booth at the back and were practically sitting in each others lap.

“Mmm, do you reckon we can sneak out the back?” Kate surveyed their surroundings and sighed when she saw that the front entrance and exit were blocked. “Pretend you’ve got a headache.”

“What? Why do I always have to be the one who’s ‘ill’?”

“Err, because it’s always your idea to leave!”

“As if you’d put up a fight!” Rana teased and dropped a kiss onto Kate’s waiting lips. She decided that one kiss wasn’t enough and she leaned in for another longer one. 

“Haven’t you got a flat for that sort of thing?” Carla teased as she and Michelle sat opposite them in the booth, with Yasmeen following shortly after. 

“Yeah, I’m so glad you don’t need to borrow my keys, anymore – you girls sure love to ‘talk’!” 

“After she caught them on my sofa, Alya still refuses sit on it, despite the fact that it was years ago and I have it regularly steam cleaned!” Yasmeen added and Kate and Rana shared matching horrified expressions, whilst Carla and Michelle howled with laughter. “She also refuses to tell me what happened during the week she decided to move out; it’s as if she’s mentally scarred from something she saw or heard,” she added and Carla and Michelle continued to screech at full volume.

“How’s that headache, babe?” Kate scowled at her sister and cousin before she turned to her fiancée. 

“I think I’ve got a migraine.”

_______________________________________________________________

“Last one up the stairs has to cook and clean for week!” Kate declared and raced Rana up the stairs leading to their flat. Rana was surprisingly victorious and wasted no time in gloating.

“Maybe I let you win, ‘cos I’m sick of pretending to like ya cooking,” Kate teased and tossed her keys onto the kitchen counter before she removed her boots. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Rana stuck her tongue out and looped her arms over Kate’s neck. She interlocked her hands behind her neck to keep her in place and pulled her closer for a soft kiss. “Today has been wonderful, babe, thank you,” she lifted her left hand from around Kate’s shoulder to gaze lovingly at her ring. “We need to get you a ring.” 

“Will this do for now?” Kate removed the infinity ring from her right ring finger and placed it on her left one. Rana nodded and pulled Kate closer for another kiss, this time more passionate. “I’ve wanted to get you alone all day,” Kate confessed and began to walk backwards to their bedroom as the kiss resumed. 

“Me too,” Rana admitted and deepened the kiss. She wound her hands through Kate’s hair and gently pushed her onto the bed before she climbed on top. “I won the race, so that means that I get to be in charge,” Rana lightly bit her fiancée’s earlobe as she unbuttoned Kate’s shirt.

“I don’t remember agreeing to those terms and conditions,” Kate said but didn’t make a move to stop Rana’s progression of unzipping her trousers and removing her underwear. 

Rana quickly undressed and settled herself snugly between Kate’s legs. The two women started a gentle and unhurried rocking motion and both let out synchronised moans of pleasure at the delicious friction the movement created.

Kate ran her fingernails from the back of Rana’s thighs, over her buttocks, the entire length of her back and continued upwards until she reached her shoulders. The two women maintained eye contact as they continuously moved as one. 

Kate slowly raised a thigh in between Rana’s and executed a perfect flip and roll move that enabled her to be on top. The two women shared an amused chuckle at Kate’s actions before they resumed the kiss and once again began to move together simultaneously. 

Afterwards, as they lay face to face, spent and sated, Rana picked up Kate’s hand and played with her fingers, her short nail tickling the other woman’s palm, while Kate was content to simply track Rana’s beautiful features with her eyes and fingertips, the soft light from the street light outside was casting a gentle illumination over her face and it made Kate’s heart beat just that bit faster.

“I can’t wait to get married,” Kate whispered in the dimly lit room and shifted closer so that there was barely any room in between them.

“Me either, I can’t wait to be Mrs Connor,” Rana whispered back. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Kate swallowed thickly as she attempted to control her emotions. “My dad asked me about kids today,” Kate revealed and traced a line over Rana’s lips, chin and jaw with her fingers.

“What did you tell him?” Rana asked and ghosted her fingertips along Kate’s defined bicep. She trailed her fingers upwards and along until she found the diamond shaped freckles that adorned Kate’s chest.

“I told him that it’s something that we both want but not yet. I want you all to myself for as long as possible,” Kate growled and gently nipped at Rana’s bottom lip as she once again tried to roll on top of her fiancée but Rana was quicker and intercepted the move. 

“Well, I hope you left that part out!” Rana giggled and placed tickling kisses against her face, neck and collarbone. Kate threaded her hands through Rana’s hair in a bid to speed up the progress.

“He also said that he would pay for the wedding and honeymoon,” Kate said and closed her eyes in delight as Rana encased a taut nipple between her lips and began to gently suck.

“Who did?” Rana paused in her ministrations and looked up in confusion.

“My dad,”

“Why are we still talking about your dad?”

“I really don’t know,” Kate narrowed her eyes and coaxed Rana to continue by gently tugging her hair. “Sorry, let’s just think about the honeymoon instead.”

“Fine by me,” Rana grinned salaciously and promptly made her way down Kate’s body. 

_______________________________________________________________

Rana eyes flew open to the sounds of crashing pots and pans, followed by Kate swearing and the nurse tried her best to hold back her laughter. She checked the time and saw that it was a little before eight and so decided to get up and investigate what her fiancée was up to.

She took a quick detour to the bathroom to use the toilet before she made her way into the kitchen. She gasped as she took in the sight of absolute carnage; from the looks of it, Kate had used every single bowl and pan they owned and had proceeded to drop the majority of whatever she was making onto the floor.

She crept up behind Kate and stood on tiptoes to whisper in her ear; “Having fun?”

“Jesus!” Kate yelped and Rana couldn’t help but laugh when Kate spun around and pointed the spatula at her.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist!” Rana offered a hug as an apology, which Kate accepted. “What’re you making?” she asked and tried to peek over her shoulder.

“Ah ah, it’s a surprise,” Kate shielded the frying pan from view and got back to the task at hand. “You’re not supposed to be up yet.”

“Well, if someone hadn’t made such a racket, then I’d still be asleep, wouldn’t I?” She teased and Kate stuck her tongue out in response. Rana made herself a mug of coffee and sat down at the breakfast bar. “I was having such a lovely dream, too,” she sighed longingly.

“What was it about?” She asked and Rana became distracted as she watched Kate’s muscles flex as she tended to whatever was in the pan. “Babe?”

“Huh? Oh, the dream; it involved you, me and chocolate.”

“What were we doing?” Curiosity got the better of Kate and she was suddenly very interested in hearing the details.

“Swimming in it!” Rana cackled and Kate rolled her eyes at the teasing. She sat up straighter when she saw Kate transfer the contents of the pan onto two plates and was eager to find out what Kate had made.

“Close your eyes,” Kate instructed and Rana immediately complied. She arranged the plate and crockery in front of Rana before she collected her own breakfast and set it beside her fiancée. “Okay, open them.” 

Rana opened her eyes and looked down at the contents of her plate and swooned at the sight of the French toast shaped ‘K’ and ‘R’ with a heart in the middle. 

The letters were a little uneven and a bit burnt and the heart was slightly lopsided but Rana’s heart swelled with adoration at Kate’s effort and pulled her in for a kiss. Rana took a generous bite of her breakfast and looked at Kate with a down turned mouth as she struggled to swallow her mouthful.

“I mixed up the salt and sugar, didn’t I?” Kate questioned and put down her knife and fork when Rana’s only answer was to reach for her coffee mug and practically down the contents.

End of chapter four.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Once again, thanks to everyone who left comments and kudos. I know I'm starting to sound a bit like a broken record, but I really am grateful and pleased to know you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. :)

New beginnings.

Chapter five.

“What about this one?” Kate said from her position on the floor and held up her phone so that Rana could see the screen from the sofa. 

After finding and reserving an engagement ring for Kate, the couple were searching for matching wedding bands and had seen a few they had liked, but not ‘the one’.

Rana stopped braiding Kate’s hair in order to take the phone. “I dunno. It’s nice but I don’t love it,” she said and handed the phone back. 

“Yeah, I guess I’ll keep looking,” Kate clicked onto the next page but jumped when her screen lit up with a FaceTime request from Eva. “I wonder what she wants,” she pulled herself up off the floor to sit next to Rana before she accepted the call.

“Hi!” Eva chirruped as her face filled the screen. “I’ve got someone here who wants to say hello,” she angled the screen downwards to reveal Susie, sitting on her lap.

“Ahhh, hi Susie!” Kate and Rana chorused at the same time and waved to their two and a ½ year old niece.

“Can you say hi to auntie KayKay and auntie RaRa?” 

“Yeyo KayKay, yeyo RaRa,” Susie spoke around the fingers in her mouth and bashfully waved with her other hand. 

“We’re not disturbing you, are we?” Eva checked and moved Susie to a more comfortable position on her lap.

“No, why?” Kate frowned.

“Well, your hair....” Eva left the comment hanging and widened her eyes. Rana laughed and smoothed out Kate’s messy hair. 

“No, this one has an obsession with braiding my hair, God knows why.” Kate pulled a teasing face and Rana chuckled. 

“Because it makes you look so cute!” She reached out to cup Kate’s face under her chin to squeeze her cheeks, which made Susie giggle in delight. “Look at the face!”

“Gerroff!” Kate pulled her face free and playfully nudged her fiancée away.

“Susie always wants her hair in bunches whenever she sees you with them; I haven’t the heart to tell her she doesn’t have enough hair!” Eva ran a hand over the blondes’ small ‘Pebbles’ hairstyle and rested her chin on top of her head.

“So, is everything okay?” Rana checked and held Kate’s hand that rested on her thigh.

“Oh, we’re fine - Susie’s been pestering me all morning to call you so I thought I’d congratulate you on your engagement. Gissa look at the ring, then!”

Rana held her hand closer to the screen and Eva ‘ooohed’ in delight.

“What do you think, Susie, is it pretty?” Eva asked her daughter who smiled and nodded. Kate felt hot tears burning at the back of her eyes at the expression on her niece’s face – she looked so much like Aidan when she smiled, it sometimes hurt to look at her for too long. “Have you set a date?”

“We’ve got one in mind; we’re just waiting to hear back from the venue,” Rana explained. “We’ve been looking at rings today and then once that’s done, we’re going to go dress shopping.”

“Oh, that was my favourite part!” Eva enthused before the smile faded from her face when she realised what she had said. “Anyway, erm, we’re coming back to Weatherfield next weekend, for a visit; we’d love to catch up with ya. Wouldn’t we Susie?” Eva spoke against the side of the toddlers head and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“Yup,” the smaller blonde nodded definitively. “Me see dada?” she asked and Rana gently squeezed Kate’s hand. 

Eva and the Connor’s had made sure that Susie knew who her father was and had tried to sensitively explain in a way that a two year old would understand the reason why she couldn’t ‘see’ Aidan. 

They had eventually decided to tell her that he was a twinkling star in the sky because he was an angel who lived in heaven. 

Although the family weren’t sure if she understood, Susie seemed to accept the explanation and every time she visited Kate and Rana’s, she asked to look at photos of Aidan.

“Of course, sweetheart,” Rana affectionately smiled at the toddler.

“Right well, I can tell you’re busy, so I’ll let you get on,” Eva said after a few moments of silence. “Say bye to auntie KayKay and auntie RaRa.” 

“Byeeeeee!” Susie waved and mimicked her aunties when she saw them kissing and blowing their hand toward the screen.

“Love you lots, chocolate drops!” Kate told her niece.

“Luv you lots, chocwite dwopps,” Susie stumbled adorably over the words and Kate and Rana shared a look at the cuteness before the screen paused and went blank after Eva had ended the call. 

“Are you okay?” Rana checked and gently rubbed her hand on Kate’s thigh.

“Yeah,” Kate nodded with a deep sigh. “Do you wanna carry on looking at rings? I’m just gonna pop to the loo.” Kate patted Rana’s thigh and rose from her seat. 

Rana continued the search for the rings and quickly dismissed several before a matching pair caught her eye and she clicked on the information to read up on the specifications. She heard the bathroom door open and she craned her neck backwards.

“Babe, come and have a look at these ones, and tell me what you think,” Rana passed her phone to Kate. 

She looked at the images on the screen and nodded appraisingly. The bands were 18 carat white gold and each band had one half of a heart made up of small diamonds and when placed together, the pair formed a whole heart.

“I think these are the ones,” Kate offered her fiancée a sweet smile which Rana returned tenfold. 

_______________________________________________________________

Jenny, Carla and Michelle were sitting in a booth at the bistro, waiting for Kate and Rana to join them. The trio had all received the same short, simple text asking them to meet them for lunch, and had provided no other information.

While they waited, the three Connor women had decided to get a head start with a liquid lunch and Michelle and Jenny had ordered a bottle of the finest rosé the bistro had to offer, while Carla stuck to orange juice.

“Finally!” Carla exclaimed when she saw the couple enter through the doors, hand in hand. “You took your time, didn’t you? Some of us have things to be getting on with,” Carla complained and moved over so they could sit down.

“Personally, I’m quite happy to sit here all day,” Jenny raised her glass as if she were toasting.

“Me too,” Michelle agreed and tapped her glass against Jenny’s whilst Carla rolled her eyes.

“Well, I’ve left the rabble unattended, so you can understand why I’m keen to get back. How come you're so late, anyway – been busy, have we?” Carla teased her sister and future sister-in-law.

“We have actually, we’ve been shopping,” Kate revealed and placed her left hand onto the table to reveal her ring. The ring itself was similar to Rana’s but the larger main diamond was white instead of aquamarine diamond. 

“Blimey, you have been busy!” Jenny exclaimed and leaned in closer to get a better look. “I bet that set you back a bob or two.”

“Flippin’ ‘eck, you’re not wasting anytime with this planning, are ya?" Michelle spoke with raised eyebrows.

“Well, there’s a lot to sort out, which is why we’ve invited you out,” Kate explained.

“Er, excuse me, you may have invited us but I’ve noticed that you haven’t treated us to lunch, like you promised,” Carla reminded the pair and fixed them with her trademark unimpressed look.

“Er, excuse me, I never promised anything of the sort; we just asked you to meet us for lunch, we never said anything about paying!” Kate answered with a triumphant grin. “Besides, we’re not made of money – we are busy planning a wedding, remember?” 

“Er, excuse me but I thought you’d gotten a loan from the bank of Johnny?” Carla retaliated and before Kate could get in her own retort, Michelle quickly interjected. 

“Yeah, alright you two, give it a rest eh?” 

Carla kept quiet but couldn’t help but chuckle at her and her sister’s cheeky banter. 

“Well, we’ve done most of the planning ourselves but we need help with some of it,” Rana said and looked around the table.

“Of course, why didn’t you say?” Carla reached into her handbag and pulled out her chequebook. “How much do you need?” she asked and clicked her pen.

“Oh, Carla no; that’s very generous of you but it’s not money we need help with,” Rana insisted and waved the offer away. “It’s help with choosing our dresses.” 

“Yeah, so I was wondering if you’d like to help me,” Kate looked expectantly at her sister and cousin.

“And Jenny, I’d love it if you’d come along with Yasmeen and I,” Rana asked her future mother in law.

“Seriously, you want me to help?” Jenny was suddenly overwhelmed. “What about the bridesmaid’s dresses, do you need help with those too?” she asked and Kate and Rana had the same flashback of the hideous bridesmaid dress Jenny had chosen for Kate and they shared an alarmed look.

“I think we’ve got that covered, but thanks anyway.” Rana insisted and Kate blew a sigh of relief. 

“It would be an honour, it really would,” Jenny rose on slightly shaky legs and rounded the table to hug Rana. “When are you thinking on going?”

“I know it’s really short notice, but tomorrow, if that’s okay?” Rana asked with slight hesitation.

“Name the time and place and I’ll be there,” Jenny nodded and hugged Rana once more.

“And when do you need our help, missy?” Carla asked.

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Er, you’re rostered in for a shift that day,” Michelle tapped the table with one finger. “You’ve already had loads of time off, you can’t have any more – people will think you’re my favourite.”

“Well, yeah, that’s because I am your favourite,” Kate winked in jest. “Besides, we can go after my shift, can’t we?”

“Of course; I’m only kidding!” Michelle chuckled. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world, would we Carla?”

“Absolutely not.”

_______________________________________________________________

Alya was sat in the armchair, furiously swiping at the screen on her phone as she played candy crush. She was just about to get the bear over the line after the fourth attempt when she looked up and saw her Gran dressed in her fanciest clothes. 

“Oooh, where are you off to dressed up like a million dollars? Got a hot date you’ve neglected to tell me about?” she teased and resumed her game.

“No...I’m...helping Rana choose her wedding dress.”

“What?” Alya looked up. “Why are you helping her, after everything she’s done?” She fixed her Gran with an incensed look and switched her phone off. Stuff the bear; some things were more important.

“Alya, please, I beg of you to.let.it.go! It’s been two years!” Yasmeen spoke in a beseeching tone. “If you keep walking around with all this hatred and contempt in your heart, then one day you’ll wake up and find yourself all alone.”

“Oh, great; thanks Gran,” Alya pulled her head back in disbelief. “So, I’m the bad guy in this, am I? Are you forgetting what they did; the way they carried on behind Zeedan’s back and made a fool out of him? Because I haven’t!”

“How can I, when you bring it up every chance you get?” Yasmeen pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Alya, please listen to me; you need to let bygones be bygones. Your brother has learned to forgive and forget, and so should you. Yes, they made a mistake with the way they went about it and they know they did, but they love each other and if you were to spend just five minutes in their company, then you would see it for yourself.” Yasmeen sighed in exasperation when Alya stubbornly remained silent. “If you could just find it in your heart to make peace with them, then you too could be helping your oldest and let’s be honest, only friend, choose her wedding dress for the happiest day of her life, instead of playing silly games on your phone.”

“Great speech, are you done?” Alya sneered and Yasmeen heavily sighed in defeat and picked up her handbag. “Good, because I’m busy,” she held up her phone and resumed her game. “And for your information, it’s not silly,” she muttered under her breath. 

She waited for her Gran to leave the house before she headed upstairs and peered discreetly out of the window. She watched as her Gran affectionately hugged Rana before they were joined by Jenny Connor and the trio piled in Yasmeen’s car. 

She continued to watch until the car rounded the corner and out of sight and with her Gran’s advice still fresh in her mind, she quickly pulled out her phone to open up her messages. 

She found Rana’s name in her contacts and stared at the blank text space; the icon continued to blink as if it were mocking her and she scowled at it in disgust before she exited her messages and instead opened up her photos. 

She found the album titled ‘friends’ and her eyes scanned over the numerous photos; some were of her and Rana, some were of her and Kate but most were of her, Kate and Rana. As her eyes pored over the images, a sharp pang of longing stabbed at her heart and she let out a deep sigh at her lost friendship. Maybe her Gran was right; maybe she should let bygones be bygones. 

_______________________________________________________________

Kate was enjoying a drink in the rovers with Sophie and Gemma, when her phone pinged with a new text from Rana. She quickly opened her messages and smiled as she read the contents;

‘Just got back from town, are you still at work? XOXO’

‘I’m in the rovers with Soph and Gemma – come and join us. XX’

“‘Ave ya decided what ya doin’ for yer ‘en party?” Gemma asked through a mouthful of pork scratchings and Kate looked up from her phone.

“We haven’t even finalised a date for the wedding yet,” Kate shook her head and cringed as bits of masticated food flew out of Gemma’s mouth and decorated the table. 

“Well, can I be in charge of sortin’ it?” Gemma requested and slurped her pint.

“No way!”

“Ohhh, why not, it’ll be proper mint!” she insisted. “We can ‘ave loads of buff strippers, just like those fit blokes off ‘Magic Mike’!” She wiggled in her seat in excitement while Kate and Sophie shared a look of total repulsion.

“Errr, Gemma? That’s not exactly our thing.” 

“Okay, fiiiinnnneeee; we can ‘ave girl strippers!” Gemma huffed and crossed her arms across her chest when Kate continued to glare. “Fine, forget the strippers!” She grumbled and slumped back in her seat.

“What’s this about strippers?” Rana asked as she approached the trio in the booth at the back of the pub. She bent down and kissed Kate squarely on the lips before she took a seat next to her and held her hand within her own.

“Well, I think that’s my cue to leave; see ya!” Gemma declared. She guzzled the last of her pint and swiftly made her exit.

“What was that all about?” Rana asked Sophie, but before she could answer, her phone began to ring.

“What is it now, Rosie? WHAT?! How the flamin’ hell ‘ave you managed that?!” Sophie screeched. “Sorry, I need to go – Rosie’s hair straighteners are on fire!” she quickly rushed out of the door, much to Kate’s amusement. It was certainly never a dull moment where the Webster sisters were concerned.

“I don’t think I’m gonna ask,” Rana frowned and narrowed her eyes while Kate chuckled.

“Gemma thinks we should hire strippers for our hen party – male strippers.” 

“Ugh, I hope you told her no.”

“Oh, I dunno, it could be a laugh,” Kate shrugged and Rana nearly broke her neck, she whipped around so fast. 

“Kate!”

“I’m kidding!” Kate laughed and Rana shook her head as she pushed at her shoulder. “So, did you have a productive afternoon?”

“You mean; did I pick out a dress?” Rana asked as they made their way to the bar. They both ordered a glass of red each and went back to the booth. “Yes, I did.”

“Can I see it?”

“Errr, don’t you know it’s bad luck to see the dress before the wedding?”

“I thought that was the bride?” 

“I’m pretty sure they’re one in the same,” Rana said and sipped her drink. 

“Can you at least give me a hint, just in case we pick the same one?” Kate tried again, but Rana wasn’t going to budge. She was just about to try a different tactic when her phone rang. “It’s the hotel,” she said before she swiped to answer. “Hello? Yes, speaking...right...uh huh....okay...of course...yes, I understand...thanks for getting back to me...thanks for your help...you too, bye.” Kate frowned and placed her phone down on the table before she took a long sip of wine.

“Well?!” Rana grew impatient with Kate’s hesitation to share the information.

“How d’ya fancy becoming Mrs Connor on May 18th ?” Kate asked with a beaming smile.

“I need the loo.”

“Okay, that’s not really the response I was hoping for....” The smile on Kate’s face was replaced with a baffled expression. 

“No, I mean; ‘I need the loo’,” Rana repeated with raised eyebrows and stood up.

“Yeah, I heard you the first....OHHH!” Kate nodded as the penny finally dropped and she discreetly followed Rana in the Rovers ladies. They checked that the coast was clear before they hurried into an empty cubicle and locked the door behind them.

Rana pressed Kate against the door and leaned in for a kiss filled with desire. Rana quickly swiped her tongue against Kate’s top lip and was immediately granted entry.

“We’ll have to be quick,” Rana whispered against Kate’s lips before she leaned back in.

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Kate’s breathing was ragged and she threaded her hands through Rana’s hair as the shorter woman dropped to her knees. 

However, in her lust filled haste, Kate unclipped her belt a little too eagerly and accidently smacked Rana in the face with the buckle.

“Shit!” Rana yelped and instantly brought both hands to her face and when she pulled them away; she saw that they were sticky with warm blood.

“Oh fuck, Rana, I’m so sorry!” Kate was full of apologies and quickly helped her fiancée to her feet before she did up her belt. “Babe, are you okay?” Kate was frantic as she helped Rana over to the sink.

“It’s fine, it’ll stop in a minute,” Rana tried to reassure Kate but if she was honest, the injury was quite painful and she was sure she would have a black eye. 

She pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned over the sink as Kate soothingly rubbed her back and held her hair away from her face.

“I’m so sorry, babe, I didn’t mean it. I don’t know what happened; I just lost control, and I swear it won’t happen again,” Kate barely paused to take a breath and Rana was concerned she was becoming hysterical. 

Both women were so distracted by the incident, that neither saw someone enter and then promptly leave the area.

_______________________________________________________________

Beth returned to her seat and fixed the factory girls (and Kirk) with a smug, know-it-all-grin before she took a large gulp of her pint. 

“Wanna hear some gossip?” she asked and Kirk, Sinead, Izzy and Gina quickly leaned in. “You’ll never believe it!”

“Well, come on – don’t leave us in suspenders!” Gina quipped and earned a chorus of hearty laughter.

“I was just in the bog and Kate and Rana are in there. Rana’s bent over the sink, while Kate’s...”

“Auntie, Beth – do not finish that sentence; I don’t wanna know anymore!”

“No, it’s nuthin’ like that!” Beth rolled her eyes. “Anyway, like I said, Rana’s bent over the sink with blood absolutely pouring out of her nose and Kate’s all like ‘sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean it – it won’t ‘appen again’ and everything! You know what this means, don’t ya?” She asked and was met with blank expressions. “Oh, come on, it’s obvious, innit? Kate’s been knocking Rana about!” 

End of chapter five.


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the comments and kudos. I hope you enjoy this one, too. 
> 
> :)

New beginnings

Chapter six 

Kate quietly entered the flat and walked slowly toward her pyjama clad fiancée. The nurse was sat at the table eating breakfast and hadn’t noticed Kate’s arrival. Kate continued her slow pace and carefully wrapped an arm around Rana’s shoulders from behind and produced a single red rose from behind her back and held it in front of Rana’s face.

“Morning. How’re you feeling?” Kate asked and pressed a tender kiss to Rana’s cheek and then neck.

Rana took the offered flower and turned around in her seat. She knew that her fiancée was still harbouring guilt from the accident in the pub toilets and no matter how many times Rana insisted that Kate wasn’t at fault, she knew that the waitress didn’t believe her. 

“I’m fine, honestly.” Rana took both of Kate’s hands within her own and lightly squeezed them. “Kate, listen to me, you’ve got to stop beating yourself up over this; it was an accident,” she said and realised what she had said when Kate’s eyes widened. “Okay, so maybe ‘beat up’ was a poor choice of words, but you know what I mean.”

“It’s just...” Kate paused to sigh and sat down next to Rana. “People around here talk and I just know what they’re gonna say – they’re gonna put two and two together and come up with a thousand. They will; you know what they’re like.”

“Oh, I certainly do!” Rana agreed. She had been the talk of the street when news of their affair had become common knowledge and she had felt like everybody was talking about her. “Who cares what people think? It’s not like they have the right to judge.” Rana leaned forward for a quick kiss. “Right, I’ve gotta get ready for work.”

“What, you’re going in today?” Kate asked in a panic and rose from her seat.

“Well, yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”

“Will Moira be there? Because you know that she will definitely say something!”

“Kate,” Rana spoke in a pacifying tone. “I’ve put another layer of concealer on; you can’t even see it.”

“It doesn’t matter; you and I both know that gossip and rumours spread like wildfire around here.” Kate’s shoulders slumped in melancholy and Rana pulled her in for a hug. “I just don’t want people to think that I’d do that to you, that’s all.”

“Well, if they do, I’ll just tell them the truth,” Rana pulled back slightly and regarded Kate with a twinkle in her eye. “I’ll tell them that you were so desperate and horny that you dragged me to the loos, because you couldn’t wait until we got home,” she said and was relieved when Kate let out an amused breath before she narrowed her eyes in accusation. 

“Hey, wait a minute; you’re the one who couldn’t wait!”

“Minor details, babe, minor details.” Rana grinned and kissed Kate again.

_______________________________________________________________

Chatter amongst the various factory workers was rife as they waited outside of Underworld for either Carla or Alya to open up. The hot topic of the morning was courtesy of Beth and she embraced the attention her gossip had brought.

“So is it true?”

“I don’t believe it; they seem like such a lovely couple.”

“Well, the Connor’s do have a history of being bad tempered.”

“Look at what you’ve done, Auntie Beth! You can’t go around saying stuff like that when you have no proof!” Sinead reprimanded but she knew that Beth was proud of herself.

“Sinead’s right,” Kirk agreed.

“Wow, now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear!” Carla quipped as she approached her staff. “So, come on; what’s Sinead right about? I need to know so that I can put this momentous occasion on my calendar.” 

“Nothing, Mrs Connor, honest!” Kirk immediately became flustered and Carla frowned as he nervously shifted from foot to foot.

“Well, now I’m really interested,” Carla hoisted her designer handbag higher on her shoulder. “So, come on, hit me with it,” she insisted and suspiciously looked at Beth when she saw that she was attempting to hide a smirk. “Beth? You must know what’s going on.”

Beth pulled her lips into her mouth and shrugged disinterestedly but soon narrowed her eyes when she saw Kate across the road and heading to the bistro to start her shift. “Why don’t you ask your sister; she’s the wife beater,” she yelled the last part and Kate instantly stopped in her tracks and hurriedly stomped over to the factory.

“Get inside now, or I’ll dock your wages! MOVE IT!” Carla roared in anger and shooed her staff into the building. “Oh, no; not you Beth, you stay right where you are,” she ordered and quickly moved to intercept a furious Kate. 

“What did you just call me?” Kate ordered and jabbed a finger in Beth’s direction. “How dare you make up shit about me? I would never hit Rana; but you on the other hand!” Kate lunged at Beth and had to be held back by Carla.

“Kate!”

“I’ve not made anything up actually; I saw you both in the Rovers,” Beth answered smugly and Kate looked at her through narrowed eyes.

“Wait, what did you see, exactly?”

“I saw the two of you at the sink; Rana ‘ad a bloody nose and you were all apologetic, like.” 

“So, you didn’t see what happened before that?” Kate questioned.

“Didn’t ‘ave to; it were obvious what ‘appened,” Beth folded her arms and continued to glare at the younger Connor. “People like you make me sick.”

“Does someone want to tell me what the flamin’ hell is going on?” Carla was completely flummoxed.

“Rana had a nosebleed in the Rovers last night and I was helping her stop it,” Kate explained.

“Yeah, because you smacked her one and felt guilty!” Beth quickly pointed the finger and Carla shushed her when several passersby began to rubber neck at the sound of the commotion.

“Okay, you’ve had your chance to talk and now you can flamin’ well button it!” Carla seethed. “Kate; what happened, why did Rana have a bloody nose?” She asked and raised her eyebrows when Kate hesitated. “Kate? If you don’t say the reason, then this one will tell the whole street that you hit Rana, if she hasn’t already. I know it’s not true but some people,” she turned to glower at Beth, “don’t care as long as it makes for good gossip.”

Kate took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. She knew that her sister could tell when she was lying and so she decided to bite the bullet and just tell a PG version of the truth. Carla regarded her sister in amusement while Beth remained dubious.

“You two really are something else, ey?” Carla struggled to keep a straight face while Beth was annoyed at the prospect of not being able to lord over the fact that she had juicy gossip. “You’d better get to work before Michelle comes after ya. I’ll see ya this afternoon, yeah?”

Kate nodded and hugged her sister before she made her way to the bistro.

“And you? You had better start writing a letter of apology to Kate and Rana. You’ve got until the end of the day to complete it and I want it on my desk before you clock out.”

“When am I supposed to write it, Mrs Connor? We’ve got a big order to do today,” Beth reminded Carla in the hope that she could get out of it, but no such luck.

“That’s fine, you can do it in your lunch break. Now, scram - get out of my sight.”

_______________________________________________________________

Rana finished up with her patient and washed her hands before she left her office to collect the patient’s file from the front desk. She was aware that Moira and Liz had noticed the faint bruising around her eye and were watching her with interest. 

She knew they were desperate to ask about it but she had decided to ignore their scrutiny and simply get on with her day, much to their chagrin. She wordlessly picked up the file and headed back into her office to type up the report.

Liz waited until the door had closed before she nudged Moira with her elbow. “‘Ere, are you on ‘er patient list?”

“No, Elizabeth, I am not. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was just wondering if you were comin’ down with summat, cos you ‘aven’t asked her about ‘er, ‘you know’,” Liz pointed to her eye and made a face. “You must’ve heard what people ‘ave been sayin’?”

“I do hope you’re not suggesting foul play, Elizabeth, because that is construed as slander!” 

“Er, ‘old on; I said nothing of the sort!” Liz protested and put her hands on her hips. “I bet it’s killing you, not knowing, eh?”

“Oh, Elizabeth, please find out!” Moira was practically on her knees, begging. “She won’t tell me if I ask.”

“Tell you what?” Neither woman had noticed that Rana had stepped out of her office and was standing behind them. Moira and Liz shared a guilty look before Liz spoke.

“Moira wants to know if her dress makes her bum look big?”

_______________________________________________________________

“Knock, knock, taxi for Connor,” Carla called out and stepped into the bistro’s office. “Kate?”

“I’ll be out in a sec, I’m just getting changed,” Kate called back from the staff locker room.

Carla sat down on the sofa as she waited for her sister to get ready and flicked through the wedding magazine on the empty space next to her. She noticed that a couple of pages had the corners bent down and she looked at those first. 

A few wedding dresses had been highlighted with an asterisk but if she was honest, she didn’t like any of them and couldn’t imagine Kate wearing any of the choices. 

“Right, I’m ready,” Kate announced and saw Carla looking at the magazine. “What do you think?” she nodded toward the page Carla was on.

“Not a lot, to be honest,” Carla admitted. “Do you really like these?”

“I don’t know,” Kate huffed and took a seat next to Carla. “I really don’t know what I want; I like a bit of something from each but not the actual dress. It shouldn’t be this hard, should it? Rana’s already picked her dress.” 

“Well, lucky for you, you’ve got an extremely glamorous and fashionable big sister and cousin to help you pick.” Carla patted Kate’s knee.

“Are you saying I’ve got terrible fashion sense?” Kate frowned at the insinuation.

“Let’s just say, it’s a good thing that you got rid of that rank, skinned Cookie monster jacket,” Carla quipped and Kate gasped before she shoved at Carla’s shoulder.

_______________________________________________________________

Carla parked her car outside of ‘Braithwaite’s bridal’ and the three Connor women entered the shop. A few women were in front of them waiting to be booked in at the reception desk and Kate took the opportunity to look at several sample dresses hanging on the rails and on the mannequins. 

The line soon cleared and Michelle nudged a preoccupied Kate to let her know it was their turn. She was still transfixed by the multitude of displays and kept her eyes on them as she walked backwards towards the desk and slightly behind her cousin and sister.

“Hello, welcome to ‘Braithwaite’s bridal’, how may I help?” The receptionist spoke and Kate’s eyes widened at the familiar voice. She whipped her head around so fast, she almost fell over.

“Are you actually having a laugh?”

“I thought it might be you when I saw the name on the appointment list but I wondered if it might be a coincidence; what are the chances, ey?” the receptionist let out a small chuckle of disbelief, while Michelle and Carla wore matching perplexed expressions – Michelle thought she looked vaguely familiar but wasn’t entirely sure. “So, nursey finally managed to get her claws into you then?”

“How do you know I’m marrying nur...” Kate rolled her eyes and caught herself, “don’t call her that, you know her name’s Rana!” 

“So you are marrying her, then? I knew it!”

“Does someone wanna tell me what the flamin’ ‘ell is goin’ on ‘ere?” Carla looked between her sister and the receptionist. “Do you two know each other or summat?”

“It’s a long story,” Kate quickly answered.

“We went out for a bit and then she binned me for nursey,” the receptionist replied and Kate rolled her eyes yet again.

“Apparently, it’s not that long,” Kate mumbled. “Actually, that’s not exactly what happened, is it?” Kate shook her head. “Carla, this is Imogen, my ex,” she explained and the penny finally dropped for Michelle – she knew she recognised her from somewhere!

“Yeah, I gathered that, but right now she’s a receptionist at an establishment where we are valued customers and she should be treating us with respect,” Carla raised her eyebrows and tapped the desk with a manicured finger. “So, are you going to book us in or do we need to ask for the manager?”

“Sorry, let’s start again shall we? Miss Connor, you have a reservation with a sales advisor, is that correct?” Imogen’s politeness was over the top as she addressed the bride to be.

“That’s right.”

“Ex....cellent,” Imogen broke the word up as she typed and Kate knew she was back to being mischievous. “May I also take the opportunity to tell you about how you can save 40% off any dress?”

“40% off? We’re listening,” Carla leaned forward. Trust her to be interested in the money side of it.

“All you have to do is exclusively book the stores photographer, and let us use your wedding photos in our promotional catalogue.”

“I don’t know – Rana’s getting her dress from somewhere else,” Kate reluctantly said. She had to admit, the generous discount was appealing. 

“That’s fine, we give credit to other stores too,” Imogen was quick with her answer. “You don’t have to decide now; would you like to look at her portfolio before you make a decision?” Carla took the ring binder and was surprised to see that Imogen only had one hand. She tried to be discreet but of course Imogen noticed. “Oh, don’t worry, it doesn’t affect my everyday life too much; I can do a lot of things with just one hand, can’t I Kate? I’m sure you remember,” she whispered and delighted in the flush that appeared on Kate’s face. “Relax, I’m just teasing – I’m happily married myself, now,” she revealed and held up her left hand. “So, what do you think of my sisters work?”

“‘Ey, some of these are really good,” Michelle was impressed as they flicked through the glossy and professional photos. “I think you should book her.”

“I’ll speak to Rana and see what she says,” Kate looked at the photos and nodded before she realised what Imogen had said. “Wait a sec; your sister is the photographer?” she checked and Imogen nodded. “How many sisters do you have?”

“Just the one; Lauren,” Imogen answered and Kate opened her mouth to speak again before she was interrupted.

“Kate Connor?” The sales assistant called out and checked the room. She smiled as Kate walked toward her and held out a hand in greeting. “Hello, nice to meet you; I'm Kristy. Are you here with your mum and aunt?” the sales advisor asked and Kate fought hard to hold in their laughter at the look of disbelief and offence on Michelle and Carla’s faces.

_______________________________________________________________

The clocked ticked over to 6 o’clock and Rana hurriedly packed away her belongings before she quickly left her office and was out of the door without a second thought. Her entire shift felt like it had lasted an eternity and all she wanted to do was curl up on the sofa with Kate and a glass of wine.

She pushed through the doors and picked up her pace, such was her urgency to get home and relax. She was almost at her door when she heard her phone ringing and she rummaged through the contents of her bag until she found it.

“Hi Yasmeen. Yeah, I’ve just finished,” she cradled her phone in between her ear and shoulder as she unlocked the main door to her flat and headed up the stairs. “Yeah, that should be okay, I think Kate might be on an early tomorrow but I’ll ask. I’m almost at the flat but I’m not sure if she’s home yet,” she said and unlocked her front door to see a bare foot and pyjama clad Kate sprawled out on the sofa. 

Her hair was done up in a top bun and her face was devoid of all traces of makeup; Rana’s breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of her fiancée’s natural beauty.

“Yeah, I’m still here,” Rana answered Yasmeen and looped her bag on the hook beside the front door. “Hold on a sec, I’ll ask,” she said and pressed the phone against her chest. “Babe, what shift are you on tomorrow? Yasmeen’s invited us to a barbecue tomorrow afternoon.”

“Ugh, I’m on another early. I’ll be finished by two, though,” 

“Hi, yes, that’s fine – we’ll be there at about three, half three at the latest,” Rana said and bid Yasmeen farewell as she ended the call. She sat on the edge of the sofa by Kate’s feet and patted her leg. “Are you okay? You look fed up.”

“I’ve had a bit of a crappy day to be honest,” Kate admitted and proceeded to tell Rana about her day. From the altercation with Beth first thing in the morning to the surprise of seeing Imogen again and then the disappointment of failing to find a dress, she was relieved to be home. “All I wanted was to spend time with you,” she declared and opened up her arms for a cuddle, and Rana quickly acquiesced. 

She snuggled in tightly and melted against Kate’s body. “This is where I’ve wanted to be all day too,” Rana spoke softly against Kate’s collarbone. “Moira and Liz were insufferable today; I could tell they wanted to ask about my eye but I didn’t give them the opportunity.” 

Kate sighed and pressed a kiss to the top of Rana’s head as she pulled her in tighter. “I don’t want to move,” she spoke with her eyes closed. “By the way, I’ve ordered a pizza – it should be here any minute – and then I thought we could have a bath and an early night.”

“The life of a rock star, eh?” she teased and Kate softly giggled. “After the day we’ve had, that sounds like heaven,” Rana hummed happily and untangled herself from Kate’s embrace at the sound of the buzzer. “I’ll get the door, if you get the plates out?” she asked and Kate reluctantly rose from the sofa. “Did you pay online?” she checked and lifted the receiver. 

“Yeah and I’ve left a tip on the side,” Kate reached up to grab two plates.

“Hello?” Rana spoke into the phone and was surprised to hear the familiar voice on the other end of the intercom.

“Rana, it’s me; can you buzz me up? We need to talk.” 

 

End of chapter six.


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, who was at the door? Time to find out....
> 
> ps thanks for all the comments/kudos. :)

New beginnings

Chapter seven

Rana opened the front door and let her brother in. “I thought you were away on a business trip?”

“I was, I just got back,” Imran said and frowned when he saw the faint bruise on his sisters’ face. “What happened to you?”

“It’s a long story,” Rana felt a slight blush colour her cheeks.

“And I’m guessing it’s not really something I want to know about, is it?” He teased with a cheeky grin and Rana responded by shoving his shoulder.

“Do you wanna stay for dinner? We’ve ordered pizza,” Kate said and took out another plate when Imran agreed.

“So, what’s happened, why do we need to talk?” Rana asked and sat on the sofa next to her brother.

“Has Ayshah text you?”

Rana frowned and quickly checked her phone for any messages, “no she hasn’t, why?” 

“I think you’d better read this,” Imran said and scrolled through his texts until he found the one from their cousin and he handed his phone to his sister. 

“What’s up?” Kate asked and sat on the arm of the sofa next to Rana.

“My parents are coming to Weathersfield next weekend, and they want to speak to me,” Rana showed her the message. “We’ve not spoken in years, why are they suddenly so keen?” Rana asked and Kate and Imran both fixed her with matching ‘are you kidding?’ looks. 

“Oh, come on Rana, why do you think?” Imran questioned. The buzzer on the intercom sounded and Kate rose to answer the door. “It’s obvious that they’ve somehow got wind of your wedding and my guess is they’re going to try and make you see ‘sense’,” he used finger air quotes. 

“Pizza’s here,” Kate carried the boxes and plates over to the siblings and placed them on the coffee table in front of them. Kate and Imran helped themselves to several slices, while Rana slowly nibbled on her first slice.

“You’d better get in quick before your brother eats it all,” Kate gently nudged her fiancées knee.

“I’m not really hungry,” she said and put the pizza down. “Maybe they’ve finally realised they’re in the wrong and they’re coming apologise?” Rana said hopefully and Kate and Imran shared yet another look. “Can you both stop doing that? What is wrong with wanting my parents to accept me for who I am and wanting their support?”

Kate put down her plate and wiped her hands on her paper napkin before she reached for Rana’s hand. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting that, of course there’s not, but you really shouldn’t expect them to have changed their minds. There’s a reason why you’re estranged from them; if they haven’t supported you in the past, then they’re not going to now.” 

“Kate’s right,” Imran spoke around a mouthful of pizza. 

“Oh, a right proper tag team you two are, eh?” Rana’s face crumpled in annoyance.

“Babe, we’re just saying you really shouldn’t look at them through rose tinted glasses,” Kate tried to placate her fiancée. “You know what they’re like and what they’re capable of.

“Of course I know and that is not what I’m doing!” Rana’s voice increased in volume but she immediately backed down when she saw Kate’s downcast expression. “Look, I know you’re only trying to help, but you don’t understand what it’s like to lose....” 

“I don’t understand what it’s like to lose a family member? I think I do, Rana,” Kate interrupted and swallowed heavily as she tried to keep her tears at bay. “I’m gonna go for a shower; I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.” 

“And I think that’s my cue to leave,” Imran winced at the rapidly increasing tense atmosphere. “So, if the two of you have lost your appetite, does that mean....”

“Just take it,” Rana rolled her eyes and handed her brother the barely touched pizza boxes. 

“You should talk to her,” he nodded toward the direction Kate had disappeared into. “And don’t let them get to you; I’m here for you whenever you need me, okay?” he declared and pulled his little sister into a tight hug. “Talk to her.”

“I will,” she promised and walked her brother to the door. “I love you.”

“I love you too; keep me updated, okay?” Imran patted her shoulder and left the flat. Rana locked the front door and took a deep breath before she bit the bullet and walked toward their bedroom.

Kate was busy folding and putting away the laundry and briefly looked up when she saw Rana standing in the doorway. Rana could tell that Kate had been crying and the knowledge that she was at fault caused a pang of guilt to grip her heart. 

“Has Imran gone?”

“Yeah,” Rana moved closer and sat on the bed. “I hope you weren’t kidding about not being hungry – he’s taken all the pizza,” she tried to break the ice and sighed when Kate didn’t respond and kept her back to her. “I’m sorry for what I said, I didn’t mean it.”

Kate gripped the dresser and took a deep breath before she turned around to face her. “I know you didn’t and I’m sorry too,” Kate bit the side of her bottom lip. “We weren’t ganging up on you, I swear, I just want to protect you – we both do. I don’t trust your parents, at all, not after...” she paused and closed her eyes, not wanting to think about the ramifications the attempted kidnapping would have brought if it had been successful. 

“I know,” Rana quietly agreed. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted their approval but however hard I tried, I’ve never met their expectations. I finished top of all my classes, but I’m still ‘just a nurse’ when I ‘should be a doctor’, the clothes I wear are ‘too revealing and disrespectful within the community’, I married a ‘nice, Muslim boy’ but I ‘wasn’t a good enough wife to keep him’; they’ve said all of that to me and the problem is, the real me is just not good enough for them and I don’t know how to make them see that the person they want me to be, is not who I am. I guess I’m just so desperate in wanting them to love and support me, to support us, that I forget what they’re truly like and what they’re capable of.” 

Kate sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder and rested her other hand on her leg. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting their acceptance but it’s been years since you last spoke to them and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there’s a good reason for that. If they haven’t accepted you by now, then I don’t think they ever will.”

“But they’ve had time to get used to it; maybe they’ve come around to the fact that you and I are together?”

“Rana, we’re going around in circles here, I feel like we’re on the flamin’ spaghetti junction. You always think they might’ve changed until you see them again and then you realise that they haven’t. I really don’t think that this time is going to be any different.” Kate sighed. “But if you are going to speak to them, and I know you will, can you at least arrange to meet them at the bistro so that I can keep an eye on you?”

“Like my own personal super hero?”

“Rana, I’m serious,” she implored. “I don’t trust them as far as I can throw them.”

“And with these babies, I bet that’s pretty far!” Rana squeezed Kate’s defined bicep and grinned when she saw Kate fighting a smile. “I’m sorry, I’m not taking the mick, I’m just trying to lighten the mood – I hate it when we fight,” she pouted.

“It’s not exactly a barrel of laughs for me, either,” Kate admitted. “But I mean it; I just want to protect you.” 

“I know,”

“And if they try anything and I mean, anything, they’ll have me and the entire Connor clan to answer to,” 

“I know,”

“Because you’re a Connor now – you’re one of us and we look after our own,”

“I know!” Rana quickly cut Kate off with a kiss. “So, would you say our argument’s over?” she asked and Kate frowned as she nodded. 

“I guess.”

“Good, because we need to make up; lots of times,” she said and the two women fell back on the bed as they began to ‘make up’. 

_______________________________________________________________

Due to staff sickness, Kate had been asked to stay on for an extra couple of hours and had text Rana to meet her at Yasmeen’s. She warned her that Michelle had banned her from the bistro as she knew Rana would cause a distraction while she waited so she decided to go over to Yasmeen’s a little earlier than planned. She used the spare key that Yasmeen insisted she keep, and let herself in.

“Hello?” She called out and hung her bag up beside the door. “Yasmeen? I know I’m a bit early but Kate’s stuck at work,” she said and entered the living room. “Oh. Hi.” She nervously smiled at Alya who was sitting in the arm chair. “D’ya know what, I’m really early – I’ll come back later,” she spoke quickly and backed out of the room. 

“Rana, wait!” Alya called out and Rana paused.

“Please don’t start, Alya, I don’t want to keep arguing with you,” Rana pleaded and instinctively took a step back when her former friend approached her.

“I don’t either, I just want to talk,” Alya sighed and hesitated for a moment before she began to speak. “I’ve been speaking to Gran and she’s made me see sense.” 

“About what?”

“About my behaviour. I know I’ve been a complete bitch to you and Kate for such a long time and you don’t deserve it. The truth is I didn’t want to admit that I was in the wrong; I know that you two are the real deal, and I’ve known that from the start, but the longer it took to just forgive and forget what happened, the harder it was to make amends. We’ve been mates for such a long time and I really don’t know if we can get it back to the way it was, but I really want to try again. I know I don’t deserve it but can you forgive me?” 

Rana stood stock still as she processed the words. She could tell that Alya’s words were genuine and she nodded her head before she was quickly engulfed in a tearful and relieved hug. 

“I’m so sorry I’ve been so awful to you - I’ve really missed having my best friend around,” Alya pulled back a little but kept hold of Rana’s hand.

“Errr, have I somehow stepped into an alternate universe or summat?” 

Rana turned around and beamed at the sight of her fiancée standing in the doorway. “What’re you doing here?” she asked and wiped away the tears that streaked her cheeks.

“Charming – I can always go if you want,”

“Don’t be daft,” Rana rolled her eyes and pecked her on the lips. “I meant; I thought you were finishing at four?”

“I was but we weren’t that busy so Michelle said I could go,” Kate explained and regarded Alya with scepticism as she protectively wrapped her arms around Rana. “So why are you being nice all of a sudden, what’s happened to the jibes, insults and mockery? It’s making me nervous.” 

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” Alya sighed and continued when she saw that Kate and Rana’s eyes were as large as saucers at the irony of her words. “Like I said to Rana, I’m sorry for the way I’ve behaved towards you both and I want to get back to being friends again. I miss you, both of you.”

Kate stayed silent as she processed Alya’s words before she spoke; “Quick, take her temperature,” she stage-whispered to Rana, “I think she’s delirious!” 

“Oh, ha ha,” Alya rolled her eyes. “I mean it though,” she affirmed. “So, will you accept my apology?” she looked at her with hope in her eyes. Kate seemed a little reluctant at first but after a gentle nudge from Rana, leaned in for a hug.

Yasmeen could see the interaction from her position in the garden and was absolutely ecstatic that her plan had paid off and her speech to her granddaughter had had the positive effect she desired. 

_______________________________________________________________

The group had enjoyed the food and drink courtesy of Yasmeen and had decided to converge in the orangery when the evening weather had become a little chilly. Yasmeen was sat in her favourite comfy chair, with her legs crossed at the ankles, while Alya occupied the other lounger. Kate and Rana had claimed the two-seater loveseat, although it may as well have been a single chair, as Rana was practically sitting in Kate’s lap. 

“Kate, Rana tells me you still haven’t decided on a dress?” Yasmeen said and sipped from her mug of tea.

“Argh, I know! I’ve managed to narrow it down to three but I just can’t decide,” she complained and dropped her head to rest against the side of Rana’s arm.

“Alya, you should see the dress Rana’s picked,” Yasmeen spoke excitedly. “Have you still got the picture on your phone?”

“Let’s have a look!” Alya eagerly leaned forward when Rana untangled herself from Kate and handed over her phone. “Oh wow, that’s gorgeous! Do you have anymore?” She asked and was about to swipe to the next photo when Rana quickly snatched her phone back. “Uh, rude!” Alya chided until realisation set in. “The next photo wasn’t the dress, was it?” she asked and got her answer from the blush that had adorned her friends’ cheeks.

“Who wants another brew?” Kate quickly interjected and stood up when Rana moved off of her lap. 

“Good idea, I’ll help,” Rana swiftly agreed and entered the house while Kate collected the mugs. 

Rana was in the kitchen rooting through the cupboards for the tub of chocolate Nesquik she knew that Yasmeen kept just for her. She smiled triumphantly when she found it and jumped when she felt Kate come up behind her and pin her against the counter. She closed her eyes at the feeling of familiar hands on her waist and a warm pair of lips at the back of her neck. 

“That was close. Do you know what photo Alya almost saw?” Rana asked and carefully prepared the drinks, however Kate’s wandering hands were making the task difficult. “That one you sent me when you tried to convince me to meet you in my break.” She said and Kate remembered that she had been bored at home while Rana was at work and had sent her a selfie – she was lying on their bed wearing nothing but an alluring smile.

“Mmm, it worked though, didn’t it?” Kate moved her hips against Rana’s backside and moved to gently nip at her earlobe. “Can’t we think up an excuse to leave? We’ve shown our faces - Yasmeen’ll understand. Maybe we could say we’ve got a lot of wedding planning to be getting on with? It’s not exactly a lie,” she whispered and moved her hands underneath her fiancées top. “They don’t need to know that we want to get a head start on the honeymoon.” 

“You are a terrible influence!” Rana accused and turned around to face her fiancée. She kissed her squarely on the lips and handed Kate the tray of drinks. “Let’s stay for twenty more minutes and then I’ll think of something, okay?”

“Babe, I don’t know if I can wait that long,” Kate complained and almost dropped the tray of drinks when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. “Can you get that for me? It’s in my left pocket,” Kate said and angled her hip towards Rana. “That’s not helping the situation,” she whined when Rana purposely took her time in locating the phone and brushed against her crotch a few times. 

“Sorry.”

“No you’re not,” Kate grumbled before she delivered the drinks. 

“I see you’re still a milk fiend, then?” Alya chuckled when she saw Rana’s chocolate milkshake. “I swear this one is obsessed with the stuff. When we were at uni, we had to have a separate budget just for milk!”

“Shurrup, it’s not that bad!” Rana defended herself and licked away her milkshake moustache. 

“Er, yes it is – we’re always running out because someone always drinks it,” Kate sided with Alya. “I reckon milk runs through your veins, babe, not blood!”

“Oi!” Rana pushed at her laughing fiancée’s shoulder but was actually delighted at the banter with Alya. It had been such a long time since they had been able to have a laugh with their friend; Rana had begun to believe it would never happen again. 

Kate’s phone beeped again and she read the text from Carla. “Yasmeen, I don’t suppose you’ve got today’s copy of the Gazette, do you?” She asked and Yasmeen nodded before she went off to fetch it. Kate flicked through the paper and stopped when she got to the letters section. “Oh my God!” she exclaimed in glee.

“What?” Rana leaned over her shoulder to look at the page and read the paragraph that Kate was pointing to. “Is that...?”

“Yep, Carla made Beth write us a public letter of apology!” 

_______________________________________________________________

After the barbecue at Yasmeen’s, Kate and Rana had barely spent any time with each other during the week, what with their shifts clashing and long hours spent at the bistro and medical centre respectively. Rana would be getting ready for bed (she had to be up at five for her seven o’clock starts) just as Kate was getting in from her late shifts at almost midnight. 

The couple had only just had about enough time for a goodnight and morning kiss and before they knew it, the week had passed and it was the day of Saira and Hassan’s visit. Rana had been snappy and stressed with everyone all week and Kate was angry that the Habeeb’s always seemed to sour her mood.

“Rana, stop,” Kate held her fiancée by the shoulders to halt her pacing. “It’ll be okay – Jenny and Carla are gonna sit at the next table, Michelle will keep an eye out from the bar and Yasmeen, Imran and I will watch the CCTV from the office. They won’t try anything and if they do, they’ll regret it. You’re a Connor now and everyone knows you don’t mess with us.” Kate reassured her and ran her hands up and down her arms. 

“Can I be a Connor too?” Imran asked and Kate and Rana followed his eyes to Carla.

“Good luck, pal, you’ll need it if you want to pursue our Carla!” Kate sniggered and turned her attention back to Rana. “I’ll be ready if you need me okay? Just tug your ear or, I dunno, touch your hair three times or something and I’ll come and get you, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I love you,” Kate leaned her forehead against Rana’s and closed her eyes.

“I love you too,” Rana pressed their lips together and held her close. 

“They’ll be here soon.” Yasmeen reluctantly said and touched Rana’s shoulder. “I hope it goes better than the last time,” she said and followed Imran to the bistro office. “Kate?”

“Yeah, I’m coming,” Kate answered distractedly and tucked a few strands of Rana’s hair behind her ear. “Don’t let them get to you, babe, I’ll just be out there and if you need me, I’ll be watching from that camera there.” Kate pointed to the camera positioned above their heads. She pressed a final kiss to her lips and squeezed her hands before she joined Yasmeen and Imran in the office.

Rana sat at the reserved table and looked over to Carla and Jenny who offered her a thumbs up before they inconspicuously hid behind their menus. She nervously smiled at them and awaited her parent’s arrival. 

Michelle placed a glass of water on the table and Rana immediately gulped it down. “Just as well that wasn’t a voddy, eh?” Michelle tried to ease Rana’s nerves and turned to face the door when she saw that Rana’s eyes were focussed on it.

“Who’s that?” Kate asked Imran and pointed at the man walking beside Hassan and Saira. 

“I don’t know,” Imran frowned. “I’ve never seen him before. Could be a lawyer, perhaps?”

“Why would they need a lawyer?” Kate asked in confusion but never took her eyes from the screen. She could feel the frosty atmosphere as the Habeeb’s sat down at the table and Rana began to fidget nervously. 

“Hello, can I get you any drinks?” Michelle checked and subtly looked at Rana out the corner of her eye.

“Water - tap.” Hassan curtly answered and Michelle took an immediate dislike to him.

“Did you forget to do your washing, or is that outfit your definition of conservative?” Saira sneered and looked Rana up and down. 

“So, um, what’s so urgent that you needed to see me?” Rana decided to ignore the insulting question as she tried to fight the burn in her eyes.

“Look, we don’t have time for small talk, so let’s just get on with it,” Hassan ordered and pointed to the man beside him. “This is Raafi; he’s going to help you.”

“Help me how?” 

“I have my own pharmaceutical company and I can provide for you,” Raafi spoke proudly and sat up straighter in the chair.

“Thanks but the medical centre already has its own supplier,” Rana looked at the unknown man and then her parents. Raafi frowned before he elaborated.

“No, I mean, since you are just a meagre nurse, it will be easy for you to give up work because I can provide for our family once we are married with children.”

“WHAT?!” Rana spun in her seat and glared at her parents in horror. “Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” She asked with clenched teeth.

“Your parents are old friends of my parents. They told me that you don’t have a husband and when they showed me your picture, I was only too happy to help.”

“I’ll bet!” Rana heard Jenny’s comment and from the looks on her parents’ faces, they had too.

“I don’t know what to say,” Rana sat in stunned silence. She went to touch her ponytail three times but then thought better of it. Kate’s words were still fresh in her mind but she knew she had to deal with the situation herself. 

“Rana, listen to us – you have been acting out for far too long. It is time to bring some order into your life and Raafi has been kind enough to offer his help with your....circumstances,” Hassan spoke in the commanding voice he knew would instil fear but the young woman sitting in front of him was no longer a controllable Habeeb, she was a Connor and Connor’s fought back.

“It’s true, I don’t have a husband. Do you want to know why?” She asked Raafi in a calm and measured voice but inside she was shaking like a leaf. “It’s because I’m already engaged,” she paused for effect, “to a woman.”

“Huh?” Raafi’s eyebrows rose in shock and he turned to look at Hassan and Saira, who were seething with rage.

“I can’t believe that I thought you might’ve changed. Everybody kept telling me you wouldn’t have but I didn’t want to believe them; silly me, ey?”

“Stop it at once, you are making a scene!” Hassan hissed and Rana scoffed derisively.

“A scene? Oh, I haven’t even gotten started! For the first time in my life, I’m happy – I know who I am and I’m comfortable in my own skin. I’m in love with someone who loves me back and then some; someone who practically worships the ground I walk on, who respects me, cares for me and would do anything for me but most of all, she accepts me for me. The fact that she’s a woman should be immaterial to you. She’s my soul mate, my one true love and we’re getting married whether you like it or not. You’re my parents and you’re supposed to love, accept and support me and if you can’t do that, then we’re done – for good.” 

The Habeeb’s were momentarily stunned at the public outburst before Saira spoke; “You have brought dishonour to our family and community – how can you can you expect us to support you when you have discredited our name with your shameful actions?”

“My actions? Have you forgotten what you tried to do to me?!” Rana scoffed. “There’s a reason why I didn’t change my name after my divorce, it’s because Yasmeen has been more of a mother to me than you ever were. And when Kate and I get married, I’m going to be a Connor because they’re proud to have me as part of their family.”

“Too bloody right we are!” Carla spoke up and Rana looked around to see that Jenny, Carla and Michelle were paying close attention to the scene. She touched her hair three times and Kate was by her side in seconds. 

“We’ve really tried with you Rana, we really have, but we can’t support you while you insist on carrying on with...that girl,” Saira spat. She stood up and hoisted her bag on her shoulder.

“Then in that case, I never want to see you again.” Rana kept her voice even and clear and gripped Kate’s hand for strength and solidarity.

“The same goes for me too.”

“Imran, please!”

“And if you try to contact either of us, or any of Kate’s family, I’ll draw up a restraining order against you.” Rana cut her mother off.

“Who do you think you are threatening?” Hassan bellowed as he tried to win back control over his children.

“Threaten? I’m not threatening you, I’m promising you.” Rana looked her parents square in the eye and was amazed at the courage she possessed. 

The Habeeb’s reluctantly admitted defeat and with a final withering glare in Kate and Rana’s direction, stormed out of the bistro. Hassan virtually ripped the door from its hinges and left with his wife and a dazed and confused Raafi trailing behind. 

Rana waited until they were completely out of sight before she collapsed into Kate’s arms. She melted into the comforting embrace and held on tighter when Kate whispered soothing and calming words into her ear and pressed kisses to her face and temple.

“I know that wasn’t easy but I’m so proud of you,” Kate wiped Rana’s tears away with her thumbs and looked deep into her eyes. 

“I love you so much,” Rana’s voice was laced in heavy emotion and she suddenly felt exhausted. 

“What do you want to do now? Tell me how I can help.” 

“Can we just go home?” Rana requested and Kate vehemently nodded her agreement. 

“Thanks for your help, guys. We’ll call you all later,” Kate promised before she took Rana’s hand and led her out of the bistro and to the sanctuary of their home.

End of chapter seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YESSS, GO RANA!


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos, I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter and I hope you like this one too. Get ready though, because it's another loooong one!
> 
> :)

New beginnings

Chapter Eight

 

A loud banging on the front door jolted Rana awake but she closed her eyes and settled back into Kate’s embrace when it stopped, only to be woken up again moments later by more banging, this time more urgent.

She craned her neck to look at Kate behind her and rolled her eyes when she saw that she was out cold and lightly snoring, completely undisturbed by the commotion and noise. 

“Alright, alright, I’m coming!” Rana huffed as she tied her dressing gown around her waist and quickly strode toward the door. She opened the door and immediately wished she hadn’t. “What’re you doing here? When I told you I don’t want to see you again, I meant it,” she said and tried to close the door but her father’s foot prevented her from doing so.

“Why do you continue to disobey us; haven’t you disrespected this family enough?” Hassan barked and forced his way into the flat causing Rana to take several steps back. “We were extremely clear with our order and you will honour your duty and marry Raafi!” he pointed to the meek and dull looking man beside him.

“And I told you, I won’t do it!” Rana shouted back. “If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the police.”

“Rana, there’s no need for that,” Saira tried to calm down the situation at the mention of the police. “Raafi is a good man; he’ll take care of you.”

“I don’t care because I’M.NOT.MARRYING.HIM!”

“I wouldn’t waste your time mate, she’ll only treat you like a mug and cop off with someone else behind your back – that’s what she did to me.”

Rana’s eyes bugged out of her head when she heard the once familiar voice. “Zee?! What’re you doing here?!”

“It’s true; she stole my girlfriend from me – she’s not a good person.”

Rana’s head felt like it was spinning at the sound of Imogen’s voice.

“I am a good person,” she declared and unshed tears brimmed in her eyes at the sound of mocking laughter.

“Yeah right, nursey!” Imogen sneered and Zeedan laughed heartily. “You’re the most selfish person I’ve ever met – it’s all me, me, me, with you.”

“That’s not true!” Rana wailed. She felt the tears fall and she furiously wiped at her cheeks. “I’m always trying to help people.”

“Except when you’re splitting up relationships,” Imogen said.

“Or having an affair,” Zeedan said.

“Or betraying your best friend by back stabbing them,” Alya suddenly appeared out of nowhere to stick the boot in.

“Or disobeying your parents,” Hassan said.

“It’s always about you;” Alya shook her head in disappointment. “It’s always Rana, Rana, Rana, Rana, RANA, RANA....!”

Rana’s eyes flew open at the sound of Kate’s voice and she took a few calming breaths as she tried to regulate her breathing and shake off her disoriented state.

“Babe, are you okay, you were having a nightmare,” Kate pulled Rana into her arms and gently stroked her hair as she comforted her shaking fiancée. “Do you want to talk about it?” She asked and pressed a soft kiss to her temple when Rana buried her face into her neck. 

Kate held Rana tighter as she began to describe the nightmare. “You know that none of that’s true right? Dreams and nightmares don’t always make sense and that one is absolute bullshit. You are not selfish at all – you’re the kindest and most considerate person I know.”

“You’re just biased,” Rana spoke, her words muffled by Kate’s t-shirt. 

“Maybe I am sometimes but not this time.”

“Do you think I should speak to Imran about getting a restraining order?” 

“Yeah, I think it might be a good idea,” Kate agreed and tenderly stroked her face with her fingertips. 

“I really don’t want to, though,”

“I know babe, but if that’s the only way to keep you safe, then it’s for the best,” Kate said and kissed her softly. “I just wanna protect you – we both do.”

“I know,” Rana swallowed down the lump forming in her throat. 

“Do you want to try and go back to sleep? It’s still early,” Kate asked and Rana nodded. 

Kate kissed her again before she wrapped her arms around her waist as she took the position of the big spoon. Rana closed her eyes and was relieved as her nightmare slowly began to fritter away. 

A smile appeared on Rana’s face as a sudden thought entered her head. It was true that not all superheroes wore capes; some wore plaid pyjamas and wore their hair in cute plaits. She knew she was safe and protected; Kate would make sure of that.

_______________________________________________________________

Kate looked up from her seat at the kitchen counter and felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of her adorably sleepy fiancée. 

“Morning. I would’ve woken you but you looked so comfy. Did you have another nightmare?” Kate asked and handed Rana a mug of tea, made just the way she liked it.

Rana blew the hot beverage and shook her head. She took a cautious sip and sat beside her fiancée.

“Eva texted; Susie’s not well so she’s not going to visit,” Kate’s voice was tinged with sadness at the thought of not seeing her niece.

“Aw, I’m sorry; I know you were looking forward to seeing her.”

“Well, she’s got a tummy bug so I think it’s for the best,” Kate grimaced and Rana returned it.

“Yeah, when you put it that way, it’s definitely for the best,” Rana agreed and looked in the fridge for something to eat but quickly closed it when it failed to inspire her. “Do you fancy going to Roy’s for brekkie?”

_______________________________________________________________

“Oh my God, Sophie Webster; that girl is totes checking you out!” Rosie quickly nudged her sister. “Well, look then – 3 o’clock!”

Sophie subtly turned her head and frowned when she saw her ‘admirer’. “Uhhh, that’s Ryan...!” 

“Noooo, the girl at three o’clock!” 

“Rosie, Ryan is at flamin’ three o’clock!”

“Oh, for goodness sake, over there!” Rosie pointed towards the girl.

“Rosie, did you actually bother to learn to tell the time?! That’s 9...oh, I give up,” Sophie threw her hands in the air before she picked up her knife and fork and continued to eat her full English, while Rosie shrugged and carried on delicately nibbling her toast.

“Well, she’s gone now, you’ve missed your chance,” Rosie shrugged disinterestedly and looked up when she saw Kate and Rana standing at the counter waiting to be served. “Do you think it’s weird that they haven’t asked us yet?”

“What you on about now?”

“Kate and Rana. Don’t you think it’s weird that they haven’t asked us to be bridesmaids, yet?” Rosie twirled a few strands of hair around her finger.

“No, cos they’re probably not going to,” Sophie deduced.

“How does it work, anyway, a lesbian wedding? Do they, like, pick a couple of bridesmaids each, or what?”

“Can we change the subject please?” Sophie quietly requested and it took Rosie a few moments to realise why her sister was suddenly upset.

“Oh right, because of the whole ‘Sian thing’.”

“Oh my god...!” Sophie glared at her sister.

“Hiya, hope we’re not interrupting?” Kate looked between the squabbling sisters.

“No, it’s fine,” Sophie smiled up at the couple. “You alright?”

“Yeah, we we’re just wondering what you’re both doing later?” Rana asked.

“Nothing, I don’t think. Why?” Sophie looked at Rosie who confirmed she also didn’t have plans.

“D’ya fancy joining us in the Rovers this afternoon? We’ve got something we wanna ask you both.” Kate said and Rosie was practically exploding with excitement.

“We would LOVE to!” Rosie beamed at them enthusiastically.

“Great, shall we say about four-ish?” Rana checked and the Webster sisters nodded. “Oh, and this for you,” she handed them an envelope each. “Don’t open it until later, though.”

“What is it?” Rosie asked and held it up to the light.

“You’ll find out later, won’t you?” Kate teased. “Don’t open it until you get to the pub.”

Rosie waited until Kate and Rana had sat down at their own table before she squealed in anticipation. “They are SOOOO gonna ask us to be bridesmaids!” 

_______________________________________________________________

Rosie and Sophie were sat in a booth of The Rovers and were soon joined by Gemma and Alya as instructed by Kate and Rana, via text. Gemma got the first round in and the group patiently (except Rosie, of course) waited for Kate and Rana’s arrival.

“I still think they’re gonna ask us to be bridesmaids,” Rosie fiddled with the seal on the envelope.

“I don’t,” Gemma disagreed, “why would they ask me?”

“That’s what I said,” Sophie told Gemma. “Not the part about asking you, I meant any of us.”

“I s’pose,” Rosie crinkled her nose in disappointment. “Plus it’s a bit weird they’ve asked you to come along,” she nodded toward Alya. “You’ve been a right cow to them for ages and if we can’t be bridesmaids, then you definitely don’t deserve to be. No offence.”

“Er, for your information, I’ve already apologised, thank you.” Alya griped and sipped her fizzy water. She looked up and saw Kate and Rana approaching. “Oh, finally, I was beginning to think you were playing hooky.” 

“That’s not nice, Alya. Just because they messed around behind your brothers’ back, it doesn’t mean that you can call them prostitutes!” Rosie was aghast and was confused by the incredulous expressions the rest of the group were wearing. “What?”

“Wow,” Kate mouthed before she addressed the others. “Okay, so you’re probably wondering why we’ve asked you to meet us. So why don’t you open your envelopes while we go and get a drink,” Kate suggested and walked to the bar with Rana. They each ordered a glass of red and rejoined their friends.

“Wait, so we’re not gonna be bridesmaids?” Rosie asked as she read the invitation.

“Stuff being a bridesmaid, this is even better!” Gemma enthused. “A hen do in Marbella?! I never turn down a free ‘oliday!”

“I asked my dad and he’s agreed to let us use his villa for the weekend, free of charge,” Kate explained and showed them pictures of the property on her phone.

“Flippin’ eck!” Gemma whistled. “Is that a pool bar?!” She leaned forward to get a better look at the screen.

“Yep,” Kate nodded. 

“Oh, and Rosie, we’re not having bridesmaids, so I hope you’re not too disappointed,” Rana said and Sophie quickly cut in.

“Don’t apologise Rana, she shouldn’t be so flippin’ ungrateful!”

“I’m not!” Rosie protested and stuck her tongue out at her sister. “I’m like, totes excited! ‘Whoa, we’re going to Marbella’!” She sang and Kate and Rana shared a confused look with Sophie.

“It’s Ibiza,” Sophie corrected with a bored tone.

“No, it’s definitely Marbella – they’ve just literally said so. Wow, and you call me thick!” Rosie snorted at the audacity. 

“She means the song. The lyrics are; ‘whoa, we’re going to Ibiza.” Alya clarified and Gemma frowned in genuine confusion.

“Wait, I thought it was; ‘we’re going to eat pizza’?” 

“I give up!” Sophie groaned and slumped down in her seat and put her forehead onto the table.

_______________________________________________________________

*Two weeks later*

The minibus pulled up outside the Marbella villa and the group of friends climbed out of the vehicle. The afternoon sun was sweltering and they were all looking forward to having drinks by the pool. 

The property was a medium sized, terracotta coloured three bedroom villa with a large outside pool, complete with a bar and a decent sized garden perfect for sunbathing. There was also a shaded area with umbrellas if the heat became too much. The gravel pathway leading to the villa was lined with palm trees and a water fountain was situated at the top of the small courtyard at the entrance.

“Gracias, Julio,” Rosie spoke in an overly twee voice as the driver unloaded their suitcases from the boot and she offered him a flirty wink. Julio’s expression would be best described as a deer in headlights and Kate quickly spoke to him in his native tongue. Julio nodded and shook her hand before he bid them farewell and made a hasty exit.

“What did you say to him?” Rana asked with a curious grin, her aviators hiding the mirth in her eyes.

“I just apologised for Rosie’s behaviour and said she hadn’t taken her medication yet,” Kate casually shrugged and Rana pushed at her shoulder as they shared a laugh.

“Did you really need to bring all that stuff?” Sophie grumbled. “We’re only here for the weekend – essentials only!”

“It is all essential,” Rosie declared. “Some of us like to look good; right, Rana? By the way, you must tell me where you got that playsuit from,” she said and linked arms with Rana as they walked up the pathway leading to the villa. 

Rana threw a pleading glance Kate’s way but her fiancée was too busy laughing to help.

_______________________________________________________________

Kate had left her four friends to decide on the sleeping arrangements and entered the main bedroom she was sharing with Rana. She closed the door and slid the bolt into place before she walked toward a bikini clad Rana, who was standing in front of the mirror, fixing her hair into a high bun.

“I’ve not seen that before, is it new?” Kate practically drooled at the sight of her beautiful fiancée.

“Well, it’s not exactly the sort of outfit I can strut around Weatherfield in; poor Brian would have a heart attack!” Rana turned to face Kate and quirked an eyebrow at her expression. “I take it you like it?”

“Yessss,” Kate hissed and held her by the hips as she pulled her in for a kiss. “I’ve left them arguing over their rooms, so they won’t miss us for a bit.” Kate moved her lips down to Rana’s neck and pronounced clavicle while her hands swept over every exposed part of her body.

“You’re insatiable!” Rana closed her eyes and ran her fingers through Kate’s hair as she enjoyed the feel of Kate’s expert lips and hands. “How long is a bit?” Rana asked breathlessly and gasped when Kate’s skilled hand made its way into the front of her bikini bottoms. 

She placed her hand over Kate’s and hummed as her fingers moved in tight, slow circles over her clit. Rana walked backwards towards the bed and pulled Kate with her. The two women made short work of undressing and had soon established a well practiced rocking motion, with Rana on top. 

“We’ll have to be quick,” Kate spoke against Rana’s lips and pressed her fingers between her fiancées legs. “Hmm, something tells me that won’t be a problem,” she moaned when she felt the slick moisture that had gathered there.

“You can talk babe; you’re wetter than Niagra falls!” Rana teased and easily moved her fingers in and out. She slightly shifted her position and leaned up so that Kate could have better access to her breast and she sucked in a breath when Kate obliged and wrapped her lips around her nipple. Rana dropped her head against Kate’s and the waitress doubled her efforts when she felt and heard the breathy moans straight against her ear.

The two women continued to frantically rock against each other and Kate let go of Rana’s nipple with an audible pop when she felt herself nearing her climax. She quickly fused their lips together to mask the synchronised moaning (Rana had a tendency to be particularly loud, especially in their current position) and sped up her movement. Rana clung tighter and moaned loudly into Kate’s mouth as she tumbled over the edge, with Kate following a split second after.

They collapsed in a sweaty and sated heap as their lungs worked overtime and their chests heaved with exertion.

“I don’t want to move,” Rana admitted and buried her head against Kate’s neck. “Can we stay here all day? They’ve got the pool and loads of alcohol to keep them entertained, I’m sure they won’t miss us,” she trailed a finger along Kate’s chest and circled her nipple.

“And you say I’m insatiable!” Kate teased but soon closed her eyes when Rana’s lips replaced her finger. “I guess they won’t miss us too much,” Kate agreed as Rana trailed kisses from her neck and down to her navel.

_______________________________________________________________

“It’s fine, I insist – you and Alya can have the bigger room. Me an’ Gemma don’t mind ‘avin’ bunk beds, do we?” Sophie checked with her weekend roomie, who nodded in agreement. 

“Honestly, Soph, Alya and I don’t mind the bunk beds either,” Rosie insisted and Sophie narrowed her eyes.

“Rosie, I INSIST!”

“SO DO I!” 

“Look, why don’t we draw straws or play rock, paper, scissors?” Gemma suggested.

“Fine, rock, paper, scissors it is,” Alya conceded and looked up when she saw Kate and Rana emerge from the villa, holding hands and giggling. “You’ve finally decided to join us, then?” she spoke from her sun lounger.

“Yeah, um....Rana needed help with her bikini,” Kate shrugged with a barely concealed giddy grin.

“Was that help with getting it on or off?” Rosie peered at them over the top of her sunglasses.

“I think they got it on and then both got off!” Gemma guffawed and the others soon joined in.

“Yes, very good,” Kate shook her head in amusement. “What were you all arguing about anyway?” she asked and slipped into the pool to get to the bar.

“We were just deciding who’s having the bigger bedroom but we all want the smaller one,” Sophie explained.

“How come, I thought you’d all want the biggest one?” Kate said as she began to gather the ingredients to make strawberry daiquiris (and a non alcoholic version for Alya) 

“Normally we would,” Rosie joined in from her lounger in the pool, “but the biggest room is right next to yours and if the afternoon is anything to go by, we really don’t wanna hear the two of you shaggin’ all night!”

_______________________________________________________________

The late afternoon sun was still blazing and the group were cooling off in the pool. Several cocktails had been consumed and everyone but Alya had a decent buzz going. They had all agreed on Rana’s idea to go out for an evening meal and then check out the clubs. 

“We should play ‘I’ve never’!” Rosie gleefully suggested.

“We haven’t got time; we’re going out for dinner in a few hours and you need that time to make yourself look beeeaaaautiful!” Sophie teased and screamed with laughter when Rosie attempted to splash her but slipped off her lounger and into the pool.

“MY HAIR! I’LL GET YOU SOPHIE, BLOODY, WEBSTER!” Rosie roared and splashed her with both hands.

“So, let’s play ‘I’ve never’, then,” Gemma suggested. “We need more drinks!” She announced. “But can I ‘ave a beer, this time? This pink frilly shit ain’t exactly cutting it,” she complained and tossed the pink mini umbrella away. 

“Help yourself,” Kate said and grabbed five shot glasses, a bottle of tequila and a carton of apple juice for Alya. “So does everyone know the rules?” Kate asked and the group nodded. “Who’s going first?”

“I will,” Rosie announced and slicked back her hair. “I’ve never had sex with Kate Connor,” she glared at Sophie but frowned when only Rana took a shot. “Uh, I thought you said you knew the rules? Someone says something they haven’t done and then if someone else has, they have to drink. Even I can understand that!”

“I know the rules, Rosie,” Sophie shrugged, “but we...never...” she trailed off and shyly rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at Kate.

“What? Never?” Rosie was taken aback. “Why not?”

“I dunno, we just....didn’t...” Sophie shrugged again. “Anyway, my turn, yeah? I’ve never slept with Gary Windass AND Jason Grimshaw!” she poked her tongue through her teeth. “Double shot, Rosie!” She reminded her and the group cheered when Alya also took a double shot of juice. “Who’s next?”

“Me!” Kate said. “I’ve never slept with a bloke,” she said and high fived Sophie when the remaining members of the group took a shot. “Gold stars, baby!” 

“I’ll go,” Rana announced. “I’ve never had an STI,” she said and watched as Gemma rolled her eyes and immediately took a swig of beer followed by a reluctant Rosie and a sheepish; “KATE?!?”

“In my defence, it was when I was young and stupid.”

“I thought you said you hadn’t slept with a bloke?” Rosie said. “You should take two shots for lying!”

“I haven’t.”

“So how did you get it then?” Rosie challenged. “Cos you can’t get it from a girl!”

“Uh, yes you can, cos I did.”

“How?”

“Scissoring.”

“Ooookay, let’s leave it there, shall we?” Rana cut in, not wanting to know about Kate’s previous relationships. “Who’s next? Alya; you’ve not had a turn.”

“Does it have to be about sex?”

“No.”

“Okay, in that case; I’ve never got drunk on Jagerbombs and graffitied the principal’s office and car with toilet paper at uni,” Alya grinned cheekily and Rana shook her head as she downed her shot.

The group carried on for a few more rounds before they decided the questions were getting too silly (and a little personal, mostly from the Webster siblings) and decided to call it quits and get ready for dinner. 

_______________________________________________________________

After a delicious dinner, the friends decided to head into town and check out the local nightlife. A quick search on the internet helped them to work out which ones to avoid and which ones to go to first. 

The first one they decided to visit was a cheap and cheerful venue but they only stayed for a couple of drinks after a group of drunken lads began to pester them and wouldn’t take the hint that they weren’t interested (even Rosie, who insisted that she did ‘have some standards’!)

They quickly moved onto the next club and soon found it was much more suited to their liking. It wasn’t an exclusively gay club but it was clear from the vibe and the way the party goers were dressed and behaving, that it was very much gay-friendly.

“This is more like it!” Gemma enthused. “They’ve got a foam machine an’ all!” She bounced on the spot and quickly disappeared into the crowd.

“What’s everyone having? I’ll get the first round,” Alya offered. They put in their orders and waited at the bar to be served.

“Hey, Soph, don’t look but the girl at the end of the bar is giving you the eye,” Rana said and pressed as close to Kate as possible to avoid being crushed by a large gaggle of excited boys. Kate wrapped an arm around her fiancées’ waist and pulled her in tight.

“Nah, I doubt it,” Sophie shrugged and subtly looked over Rana’s shoulder. The girl raised her drink in her direction and to her surprise; she found that the girl was actually looking at her. “What do I do?” 

“Er, go and talk to her, ya dafty!” Kate nudged her elbow and handed Rana her rum and coke before she took her own. 

“Ask her if she wants a drink, but don’t use a cheesy chat up line and don’t be weird,” Rosie supplied her own brand of wisdom.

“Yeah, just be your usual gorgeous self and you’ll be fine,” Rana offered her friend the encouragement she needed and gently pushed her in the direction of her admirer.

“I wish she’d have more confidence,” Rosie sighed wistfully. “My little sister is a flaming good catch and anyone who doesn’t see that is an idiot,” she stated before she realised that her comment may be misconstrued and she looked at Kate. “No offence.”

“None taken,” Kate assured her and shared an amused look with Rana.

“Well, I’m off to mingle with all these hot boys – toodles!” Rosie skipped away and immersed herself in the middle of a dancing group of pretty boys.

“And then there were thr....” Alya trailed off and rolled her eyes when she saw that Kate and Rana were too busy snogging to pay her any attention. 

_______________________________________________________________

“Has anyone seen Kate?” Rana asked as she came back to the table after using the toilet. Megan, the girl Sophie had been talking to, had invited the group to a beach party that she and her friends were going to and they all agreed on the change of scene.

“I thought she was with you,” Alya said with a shrug before she spotted her. “Look, she’s over there.”

“What’s she doing?” Rana asked curiously and stood on tiptoes to get a better look.

“It looks like she’s queuing for something,” Rosie tried to stand on a chair but her drunken state had drastically impaired her coordination and Sophie pulled her down. 

“It’s probably for karaoke,” Gemma stated matter-of-factually. “They’ve got a competition goin’.” 

“What? Can she sing?” Rosie asked Rana.

“Yeah but I’ve only heard her in the shower.” 

The group looked toward the stage when the DJ stopped playing and a woman dressed in a light, flowing linen dress stepped up on to the stage. 

“Hi everyone, who’s up for some karaoke?” She asked and the crowd roared their agreement. “First up, we have Kate Connor! Welcome Kate, tell us a bit about yourself.”

“I’m Kate, I’m 30 and I’m from Manchester,” she paused as several people cheered. “I’m here with my friends and my beautiful fiancée, Rana, for our hen do.” 

“Where’s Rana? Stand up so we can see you!” The woman enquired and Kate scanned the crowd before she spotted her and pointed her out. After some encouraging applause, Rana made herself visible and the crowd cheered and wolf whistled when they saw her. “Looks like you’ve done well for yourself. So what’re you going to sing?”

“It’s actually a surprise but I’d like to dedicate it to Rana,” Kate said and took the offered microphone as a few members of the crowd ‘awwwd’.

“Oh god, she’s going to sing a mushy ballad, ain’t she?” Gemma pretended to throw up but Rana could see a hint of a smirk on her fiancées’ face.

“I dunno...” Rana trailed off and loudly giggled as the intro to ‘Bruno Mars, locked out of Heaven’ began to play. “Oh my god!”

The majority of the crowd sang along and Kate did a pretty good job of keeping them entertained. The song ended and Kate bowed to a rapturous applause before she bounced off the stage and giddily made her way to their table.

“Surprise!” She grinned against Rana’s lips as she was pulled in for a kiss.

“You’re such a dafty, d’ya know that?” Rana said and kissed her again.

“Kate Connor, you dark horse – you never said you could sing!” Rosie gasped. “Are you gonna sing at your wedding?”

“Oh God no, that’s proper cringy, that!” Kate shook her head and pulled Rana onto her lap.

“When’s the wedding?” Megan asked.

“Fifteen days,” Kate immediately answered and laced her fingers through Rana’s and brought her hand up for a kiss. A sudden commotion started a few tables away and the friends stood up when a fight between several men broke out and they recognised them as the rowdy lads from the first club.

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Alya suggested and was instantly met with mutual agreement.

_______________________________________________________________

The next morning, whilst most of the group were nursing sore heads, Alya was sitting by the pool with her feet in the water, deep in thought. She rhythmically rotated her legs and feet and watched in a trance as the motion created a mini whirlpool. She was so preoccupied by the thoughts swirling in her mind; she didn’t hear the sound of soft footsteps padding behind her.

“Mind if I sit?”

Alya was slightly startled and looked up to see Rana lowering herself to sit down. 

“What’re you doing up so early?” Rana asked and immersed her feet into the cool water.

“Couldn’t sleep. You?”

“Same. How come you can’t sleep?”

“Rosie talks in her sleep, even more than you do,” Alya teased and Rana gasped in mock outrage. “I wanted to share with Sophie but I got the short straw, literally, plus our room is right next to yours. Did you know you’ve got a really squeaky mattress and extra thin walls? You’re not exactly quiet, you know,” Alya explained and Rana simply stared at her.

“Um, we’re....sorry?” Rana winced but she soon realised that Alya was just teasing.

“So why couldn’t you sleep?” Alya asked and frowned when Rana hesitated and worried the corner of her lip. “Rana?” She gently prompted.

“I’ve been having nightmares, on and off and last night was an ‘on’ night,” Rana explained.

“What about?” Alya asked and Rana began to explain the contents of her nightmares and how her parents were trying to force an arranged marriage onto her. “Does Kate know?”

“Yeah. She was dead to the world last night though, so I don’t think she knows about this one.”

“I’m sorry I haven’t been a better friend to you and I’m sorry that it took me so long to apologise,” Alya said and took Rana’s hand. “I guess the main reason I was angry with you was because I was upset that you didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”

“Well, what was I supposed to say? ‘Alya I need to talk to you – I know I’m married to your brother but I’m actually head over heels in love with my best friend, who feels the same way, and we’re in a secret relationship. But don’t worry - my parents and Zeedan know about it and they’ve struck up a deal that’s basically sold me off like a piece of meat. As long as we stick to the contract and publically pretend to be married for a year, then Zee gets his dream cafe and I won’t be shamed and humiliated within the community’. Come on Alya, be honest, how could I talk to you about that?”

Alya stayed silent as she processed her friend’s words and realised she was right – there was no way Rana could’ve confided in her because she wouldn’t have switched her loyalty from her brother to her friend.

“Did you feel like this at uni? You could’ve told me then.”

“I didn’t have those feelings then, but if I did, I didn’t realise what they were. Kate’s the one whose made me realise the real me. I’ve never had these feelings for anyone before her, she makes me so happy. She’s the only one who truly understands the real me,” Rana said and cut Alya off before she could say anything. “And no, I’ve never fancied you so don’t even think about asking!”

“I wasn’t going to say anything!”

“Yeah right!”

“So, tell me how it all started with you and Kate,” Alya asked and Rana took a deep breath as she started from the beginning. 

She explained how her jealousy with Imogen had originally been misconstrued as homophobia until Imogen had eventually figured out the real reason; she fancied Kate. She had denied it over and over again but Imogen didn’t believe her. She explained how she had had an epiphany after Rosie of all people had (unwittingly) made her realise that it was true and she did have feelings for Kate and that she was all she could think about. So she had kissed her. 

She explained how she did most of the chasing and that she knew that Kate felt the same way and had repeatedly tried to get her to admit it but Kate had always refused. She told how she had practically begged Kate to tell her how she felt and if she did, she would call off the wedding, but again, Kate refused. When Kate did finally admit her true feelings, it was too late and she had already married Zeedan. 

She explained how their feelings for one another were so strong, they were unable to fight them and were drawn to each other like magnets and they couldn’t stay away. She told how she desperately tried to come clean with Zeedan but every time she tried, something happened and she couldn’t do it. 

She explained that Kate eventually lost patience with her broken promises and called time on their romance only to realise via Daniel’s words that they were soul mates and after knowing what it was like to not have Kate in her life, she finally told Zeedan that she was in love with someone else.

She told how Zeedan had spitefully forced her to tell her parents and hadn’t hesitated in signing the contract. She told how she was miserable for months whilst pretending to be happily married and getting the cold shoulder from Kate (who believed they were giving their marriage another go) and how Zeedan’s behaviour and treatment of her was so demeaning that she didn’t recognise him anymore. 

She told how Kate had visited her after (wrongly) believing that Zeedan and Leanne were having an affair behind her back and had admitted that it didn’t matter if they were because their marriage was a sham anyway, and when she had found out that Kate was still in love with her, despite being in a relationship with Sophie, she was finally able to be completely honest with herself and how much she loved Kate. 

She explained how she didn’t want to hurt Zeedan’s feelings but she had had enough of his cruel treatment and had finally stood up to him. She had told him in no uncertain terms that she and Kate were going to be together and if he didn’t like it, then he could forget about the contract and with the prospect of having his dream pulled away from under his feet, had reluctantly agreed. 

She explained how she and Kate had been seeing each other in secret and although the situation wasn’t ideal, it was better than not being together at all and was working out. At least it was until Alya unwittingly let herself into number six unannounced and brought the Habeeb’s with her and the rest, as they say, was history. 

Alya was stunned into silence at the gigantic amount of information that had been divulged to her and she could do nothing but stare at Rana whilst she tried to digest the new knowledge she now had.

“I...I don’t know what to say,” Alya admitted. “I didn’t know any of this. I’ve been so awful to you and Kate,” she said and Rana nodded her agreement – there was no point in denying it. “I never told either of you this but when you were staying at the flat after Aidan...” she trailed off and took a moment before she continued. “I found a note in your jeans - from Kate.”

“She still does that,” Rana smiled dreamily.

“I was doing a wash and you probably know that Kate is always leaving things in her pockets – bits of paper, loose change, pens – so after learning the hard way, I always checked the pockets and I thought I’d better check yours too. And that’s when I found it.”

“What did it say?”

“Oh, I can’t remember now but I put it in your bag. I saw the notes she would leave you on the bathroom mirror too and I remember feeling jealous because it made me think of Luke. I kept thinking that it wasn’t fair that you two were happy and didn’t deserve to be after what you had done, while I was being punished when Luke and I had done nothing wrong. I remember feeling sad thinking about what could have been if Luke hadn’t....” she trailed off and finally looked up at Rana, who had unshed tears in her eyes. “I’ve been selfish, haven’t I? I feel like I’m always selfish.”

“Not always,” Rana disagreed. “We’ve all got our own stuff to deal with and that makes us a bit selfish sometimes, whether we mean to be or not. That’s another reason why we didn’t tell you what was happening. Your Gran told Zeedan to tell you but he said you were going through too much at the time and he didn’t want to add more to your plate. I think it goes without saying that we definitely didn’t want you to find out the way you did!” 

“I can’t believe I didn’t see what was going on!” Alya was astonished. “It all makes sense now that you’ve told me. I’m sorry I was so caught up in my own drama to realise you needed a friend. I should’ve been there for you and I promise from now on, I’ll be better.” Alya stated and pulled her friend in for a long overdue hug.

“Well, it’s not like you can be any worse, is it?” Rana quipped as she pulled back and loudly chuckled at Alya’s gobsmacked expression.

End of chapter Eight


	9. Chapter nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! Work has been keeping me busy lately (wouldn't it be nice to win the lottery and take early retirement?!) and I've unfortunately not had much free time. As always, thank you all for the kind feedback and kudos - I hope this chapter is worth the wait. Please let me know what you think. 
> 
> :)

New beginnings

Chapter nine

Kate woke up with a groan and immediately covered her eyes with both hands to block out the sunlight that was streaming through the window. She didn’t think she had had too much alcohol last night, but her pounding head told her otherwise.

“Ugh, my mouth feels like the desert – did I brush my teeth with a cactus?” she questioned and cracked an eye open when she was met with silence. She rolled onto her side and realised she was alone. She summoned the will power and hoisted herself out of bed to leave the room but stopped when she heard a noise outside her window and she drew back the blinds to investigate. 

She had just got there in time to see Rana and Alya sitting at the edge of the pool before they suddenly tumbled into the water. She continued to watch and was spellbound as Rana rose from the water and slicked back her hair, sending water droplets flying around her. 

Kate was overtaken by the overwhelming feeling of joy at the thought of becoming Rana’s wife and she felt the sharp prickle of tears begin to form in her eyes. She continued to watch the friends for a few more moments before the need to empty her bladder became too great and she quickly dashed into the bathroom before Rosie had the chance to hog it.

_______________________________________________________________

“I can’t believe the weekend is over already, like, I could legit live out here,” Rosie sighed as she joined the group, minus Gemma, and sat next to her sister on the hard, plastic airport chairs.

“What’s the hold up?” Rana asked and snuggled contently against Kate’s shoulder. Kate wrapped her arms around Rana’s petite frame and gently kissed the top of her head as she pulled her closer. The group had all gone through the airport security without a hitch, except for Gemma.

“I’ll go and find out,” Sophie offered and returned a few minutes later after speaking to the security officer. “They won’t let her through unless she deflates that flamin’ pink flamingo!” Sophie explained and the group simultaneously groaned at their friends’ bizarre attachment to the inflatable pink monstrosity. “They said she can’t take it on the plane unless she lets the air out and she’s refusing.”

“Flippin’ eck, if she doesn’t hurry up, I’ll bloody pop it myself!” Kate spoke the last part loud enough for Gemma to hear. Her threat did the trick and Gemma reluctantly pulled the stopper out. She exaggeratedly let the air out whilst she glared at the officer, ensuring the dispensing air made as much squeaking noises as possible. She flashed him a sarcastic smirk before she joined the group and they made their way to the terminal to catch their flight home. 

_______________________________________________________________

“Oh my God, I’m like so desperate for a wee; where’s the loo?” Rosie frantically whipped her head from side to side as she tried to locate the nearest toilet.

“Why didn’t you just go on the plane?” Alya enquired with raised eyebrows.

“Are you actually kidding me? Did you not see the state of it after that really fat bloke used it?! No thank you,” she stated and sprinted as fast as her ridiculously high heels would allow when she spotted the sign for the ladies toilet. 

“Is anyone else tempted to leave without her?” Sophie joked and sent a quick text to Tim, who was waiting for them, to inform him that they would be ready in a few minutes. Her phone quickly pinged with a message back and she frowned as she read it. “Rana, Tim said you need to check your phone – Imran’s been trying to call you.”

Rana untangled herself from Kate’s embrace and rummaged in her handbag for her phone. She quickly swiped her screen when she saw that she had eight missed calls, all from her brother, and moved to a quieter spot as she called him back.

“I’m sorry, it was on airplane mode. What’s happened, where are you? When?” Rana asked and Kate saw the colour drain from Rana’s face. “We’re on our way.”

“What’s happened?” Kate worriedly asked, having only heard her fiancées side of the phone call.

“Alya!” Rana hurriedly beckoned their friend over and immediately pulled her in for a hug. “I just spoke to Imran; Yasmeen’s been in a car accident. He doesn’t know how bad it is but he’s here to take us to the hospital,” Rana spoke in a daze. Kate quickly relayed the information to Sophie and Gemma before she rejoined Rana and Alya and the three of them briskly made their way to the exit.

_______________________________________________________________

Imran parked his car and paid the fee before he entered the building with his sister, future sister-in-law and Alya. As luck would have it, Ali happened to be filling in on duty and he took them in to see Yasmeen.

“How bad is it?” Rana asked and squeezed Kate’s hand for support as they prepared themselves for the answer.

“She’s sprained her ankle and she’s got several lacerations to her face and limbs but nothing life threatening. I’d say she got off lightly, all things considered,” Ali explained. “Witnesses said the car was going pretty fast when it hit her. In their words she; ‘bounced off the pavement’.”

“Wait a minute, she wasn’t driving?” Imran questioned.

“No, she was waiting at a crossing.”

“So, it must’ve been deliberate,” Imran immediately switched to lawyer mode.

“Oh, ‘ey, that’s for the police to decide,” Ali held up a hand and scratched his beard with the other. “She’s just through there, room 205.”

“Thanks Ali,” Kate smiled and he bobbed his head before walking away. “Are you ready?” she asked and Rana and Alya both shook their heads.

“No.”

“I’ll be here the whole time, okay? Yasmeen’s a tough cookie – she’ll be alright,” Kate promised and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Rana’s fingers and watched as Imran draped a comforting arm around Alya’s shoulder. Each took a calming breath before the four of them entered Yasmeen’s room.

The older woman was casually sitting up in bed and was grumbling to herself as she flicked through the TV channels. “Why is it that when you actually have time to watch the television, there’s never anything on?”

“Gran, are you okay? We’ve been so worried!” Alya leant down for a gentle hug.

“No need to worry, my dear, just a few minor injuries.”

“Yasmeen, you’ve got a broken ankle – I wouldn’t say that’s minor,” Kate stated the obvious and pointed to her protective boot.

“Oh, it’s just a sprain,” Yasmeen nonchalantly shrugged, “you should see the other person,” she winked. 

“It was a car!” Alya spluttered in exasperation at her Grans’ casual manner. “How can you make jokes?”

“There’s a very nice doctor here who gives me lots of drugs, so I feel fine – I’ll be back on my feet before you know it,” Yasmeen insisted and gently grasped a silent Rana’s hand. “I made a promise that I would walk you down the aisle and nothing will stop me from doing that, you have my word.”

_______________________________________________________________

*One week later*

The mini bus pulled up outside of the hotel/wedding venue in Brighton and Kate, Rana, Johnny, Jenny, Imran, Carla, Michelle and Daniel all piled out onto the pavement.

“Bloomin’ eck, that taxi must’ve been a tardis in a previous life,” Daniel quipped and along with Imran, helped Yasmeen out of the vehicle, while Kate and Rana stood off to the side and looked up at the building.

“Mmm, I’m thinking about the last time we were here,” Kate wrapped her arms around Rana’s waist from behind and hooked her chin on her shoulder.

“Me ‘n’ all,” Rana agreed and rested her hands over Kate’s and felt goose bumps at the warm breath caressing the shell of her ear. “I can’t wait until tomorrow,” she pulled Kate’s arms tighter across her body and angled her head closer for a kiss, to which Kate eagerly obliged. Rana turned so that she was facing her fiancée. She looped her arms over her shoulders and played with the fine hair on the back of Kate’s neck.

“What do you say we ditch this lot so we can spend the whole day in our room?”

“Mmmm, you read my mind,” Rana agreed and leaned in for another kiss before she rested their foreheads together.

“Right then, love birds, time to break up the party,” Carla interrupted the moment and handed Rana her ‘R’ case, while Imran paid the driver. “Come on, chop-chop, the driver’s waiting.” 

“‘Ey? No, we’re staying here,” Kate frowned in confusion. 

“Oh, sorry did I forget to mention the slight change of plan? Rana, Yasmeen, Imran, Daniel and all the other guests are staying here, we’re off to a different hotel,” Carla explained.

“What? No!” Kate disagreed and folded her arms to emphasise her displeasure. 

“Yes!” Carla countered. 

“Why?”

“Because it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding and the two of you can’t be trusted to stay away from each other. Now, stop the tantrum and get in the taxi,” Carla ordered and tried to hold back her laughter at Kate’s petulant complaining. 

“You’re so mean,” Michelle whispered to Carla.

“I know but it’s so much fun; look, she’s one step away from stamping her foot!” Carla sniggered as Kate huffed passed them and sulked in the back of the taxi. Johnny mouthed an apology to Rana before he and his wife joined his daughter in the vehicle, followed by Carla and Michelle. 

_______________________________________________________________

Kate continued to sulk throughout the entire evening and threw death glares at Carla every chance she got. The group had gone out to a swanky Italian restaurant for dinner but Kate couldn’t get passed her pining long enough to enjoy the meal.

The group returned to the hotel and Kate excused herself to her room for a bath and an early night, which was definitely not the direction she envisioned her night to go. She had just started to run the bath when she heard her phone beep with a new message.

From Rana: Are you alone? xoxo

Kate quickly messaged back that she was and kept her phone open while she waited for a reply.

From Rana: Wish you were here. xoxo

Kate almost dropped her phone as the image of Rana wearing nothing but a seductive and tantalising smile filled her screen. Kate immediately face timed her fiancée.

“You’re such a tease,” Kate accused as soon as Rana’s face came on the screen. 

“I’m sorry; I couldn’t resist,” Rana giggled loudly and slipped a t shirt over her head.

“Uh, what’re you doing? I wasn’t finished!” 

“It’s cold!”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Kate raised an eyebrow and nodded at the protruding nipples visibly straining against the fabric. “Are your nipples your ‘something blue’?” she teased and Rana shook her head in amusement. 

“It’s only been a few hours but I miss you so much already,” Rana admitted with a pout. 

“Me too,” Kate agreed with soft eyes. “So, what’ve you been up to this evening?”

“Lying in bed thinking of you and wishing you were here,” Rana flirted and Kate squeezed her thighs together as she felt the moisture begin to gather at her fiancées words. 

“Oh, really?”

“Mmhm.”

“And what would happen if I was there?” Kate quirked an eyebrow but before Rana could speak, there was a knock at the door.

“Kate, it’s me,” Carla’s voice was muffled by the door. “Can I come in?”

“If I ignore her, do you think she’ll get the hint and go away?” Kate huffed and closed her eyes in annoyance.

“Probably not,” Rana shook her head. “She’ll probably just keep knocking until you answer.”

“Kate Connor, I know you’re in there! Come on, stop sulking.” Carla knocked even harder. 

“Sorry babe, I’m gonna have to go, shall I call you back?”

“It’s okay, I’m just gonna go to bed.”

Kate frowned. “Really? It’s still early.”

“I didn’t say I was going to sleep,” Rana teasingly raised her eyebrows which caused Kate to almost drop her phone. “See you tomorrow - I can’t wait to be Mrs Connor.” Rana ended the call and Kate was left staring at the blank screen for a few seconds before another knock at the door pulled her from her trance.

She hopped off the bed and crossed the room to open the door and was greeted by the sight of Carla getting ready to knock again. 

“Finally!”

“What do you want?” Kate crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame.

“Oh, for pity’s sake, are you still being mardy with me?” Carla rolled her eyes at her younger sisters’ huffiness. “Are you going to let me in, or not?”

“No.”

“Fine, I just came to tell you that all the guests have arrived, and....I also came to apologise – if Imran and I had known you’d be this upset, we would never have arranged separate hotels.”

“Wait, so you both decided on it?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, you and Rana did make us both your ‘best people’, which means we’re also in charge of arranging and planning, right up until your wedding day.” Carla explained and sighed at Kate’s brooding expression. “If you keep that expression for much longer, you’ll end up staying that way which won’t look good for the wedding photos, will it?” She lightly tapped Kate on the nose. “Are you really not going to let me in?”

“No,” Kate repeated and heard her phone beep several times in quick succession but decided to ignore it until she had gotten rid of Carla. “Fine, I accept your apology, now if you don’t mind, I was just about to get in the bath and have an early night, so I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Fine, I’ll leave you to it; just don’t spend all night sexting Rana, eh?” Carla gently patted her sister on her cheek before she walked down the hotel hallway, cackling as she went and leaving a stunned Kate in her wake.

_______________________________________________________________

Kate groggily hauled herself out of bed at the sound of the continuous knocking. A quick check of the time told her it was barely six o’clock and she blearily made her way to the door.

“Happy wedding day!” Jenny, Carla, Michelle and Maria cheerily greeted her and engulfed her in a huge Connor hug.

“Oh, this is for you,” Jenny said and handed her an extra large takeaway coffee as the women entered Kate’s room.

“Mmm, thank you.” Kate took large gulp and moaned as the hot beverage instantly began to rejuvenate her senses. “That’s good.”

“I think you might need a few more of those; you’re looking pretty rough,” Carla teased and cackled when Kate sent a scowl her way. 

“Did you not sleep well?” Michelle enquired and took a seat on the bed.

“No, I kept having dreams that something would go wrong.”

“Oh, as if!” Maria scoffed as she prepared her hair and makeup bag for Kate. “Nothing bad is going to hap...”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah!!!” Jenny, Carla and Michelle quickly interjected.

“What?” Maria was confused and startled by the interruption.

“Don’t finish that sentence!” Jenny warned. “How long have you lived in Weatherfield? Drama and weddings go hand in hand with the residents of Coronation Street; don’t you know that by now?”

“Yeah and if you finish that sentence, you’ll jinx it,” Carla explained and fixed Maria with a ‘don’t argue with me’ look.

“Oh, great, now I’m even more nervous!” Kate anxiously tugged at her hair before she excused herself to take a quick shower and freshen up. She emerged after twenty minutes dressed in a bathrobe and sat down on the desk chair when Maria prompted her to.

She closed her eyes when she felt the gentle sweeping motion of the makeup brush against her face and a smile tugged at her lips as she thought about Rana. She wondered whether she was having her makeup done too and who was doing it, she wondered what her dress looked like and what hairstyle she had chosen and she wondered if she was nervous or excited or a combination of both.

“All done,” Maria softly announced and Kate opened her eyes.

“That was quick!” Kate remarked and Maria responded by raising her eyebrows. “Where did the others go?”

“They’re waiting with your dad - they left ages ago,” Maria regarded Kate in a mixture of concern and confusion. “Are you okay?”

“How long have I been sat here?”

“Almost two hours,” Maria answered. “I think you fell asleep at one point.”

“So, wait, are you doing Rana’s hair and makeup too?”

“No, Emma and Bethany are helping her get ready.”

“Is that a good idea leaving those two in charge?” Kate questioned, her voice laced with trepidation.

“Well, it was either those two or Rosie and Gemma – who would you pick?”

“Good point.” 

_______________________________________________________________

Johnny stood in the hotel foyer with his wife, eldest daughter and niece as they waited for Kate to make her eagerly awaited appearance. Johnny was beside himself in anticipation as he heard footsteps approaching but settled when he saw it was Maria.

“Oh, cheers Johnny,” Maria teased as she joined them at the bottom of the staircase, just as Kate rounded the corner. Johnny felt his heart skip a beat and proud tears spring in his eyes as he took in the sight of his youngest daughter as she slowly walked down the flared double staircase. 

Her makeup was soft and subtle to emphasise her natural beauty and her brown hair was elegantly styled in a French twist updo and held together with a thin clip. It was decorated with light blue sapphires to match the blue roses in her bouquet and Rana’s engagement ring. Her dress was the epitome of class; it was a pure white sleeveless gown with a sweetheart neckline and delicate lace decorating the bodice and train, and finally her shoes; white satin sling back heels, which belonged to Carla.

“What do you think?” Kate asked and gave a small twirl as she grasped Johnny’s outstretched hand.

“I think you look perfect,” Johnny struggled to speak around the lump in his throat. “I can’t believe it; my beautiful girl is getting married,” he squeezed her hands. “I wish your mother and our Aidan were here to see you, they’d be so proud of you.”

“They’re watching, I know it,” Kate nodded and blinked back her tears. 

“‘Ey, stop it you, or you’ll ruin all my hard work!” Maria jokingly chided and wiped at her own eyes.

“Let’s get you married, shall we?” Carla held the door open. “We’d better get a move on; Rana will think you’ve done a runner!”

“Never!” Even though the comment was said in jest, Kate was aghast at the notion.

“We’ll meet you there,” Jenny kissed her husband and hugged her step daughter. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

Jenny, Michelle and Maria said their goodbyes and climbed in the waiting taxi to take them the hotel/wedding reception, while Kate, Johnny and Carla waited for their own transportation. 

“A limo?! Dad, you’re not serious?”

“Nothing but the best for my girl.”

The driver opened the doors to the backseat and tipped his hat as the bride climbed in as gracefully as possible and closed the door when all the passengers were seated. He started the engine and took a slow drive to the venue, which was only five minutes away.

Johnny poured his daughter’s a glass of champagne each and tapped his glass to theirs before taking a sip. A crackle over the vehicle’s intercom suddenly sounded and the drivers’ voice could be heard.

“Not to alarm you but we’ve run into a bit of a situation,” he said and the trio looked at each other in confusion.

“What’re you on about mate?” Johnny questioned and turned in his seat when he saw blue flashing lights directly behind them.

“It’s nothing to worry about; just act normal,” the driver insisted.

“As opposed to what?!” Kate practically yelled as the limo pulled over.

“Congratulations by the way, best of luck to ya,” the driver tipped his hat again before he leapt out of his seat and sprinted down the street with a police officer chasing close behind.

“What the hell is going on?!” Kate was in hysterics and jumped when a second police officer opened the door closest to her.

“I was hoping you could tell me that,” the officer leaned in closer, “are you aware you’re travelling in a stolen vehicle?”

End of chapter nine.


	10. Chapter ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thanks so much for the comments and kudos for the previous chapter. Sorry it took some time for this to be posted - I hope it's worth the wait. :)

New beginnings

Chapter ten

“‘Ey up, look lively, they’re here,” Daniel said to Imran, who was standing beside him in the foyer of the hotel. Both men were wearing fitted navy suits, with a white shirt and a matching navy tie and black polished shoes. The two men waited for the car to stop and Daniel opened the door for the passengers.

“How long until the bride gets here?” Imran asked and followed Jenny, Michelle and Maria into the building.

“No more than five minutes, they were right behind us,” Jenny said and smoothed some strands of flyaway hair that had been loosened from her updo hairstyle.

“We’d better show the guests to their seats then,” Daniel held out his arm to Michelle, his fellow usher, and they headed toward the waiting area.

“How’s Rana?” Jenny asked.

“She’s fine,” Imran answered. “Bit nervous but Yasmeen’s in with her.”

“Is she still in hair and makeup?” Maria asked and Imran nodded. “I’m just gonna poke my head in, see if the girls are alright.” 

“And I’m going to take my seat,” Jenny smiled at the tall lawyer. “See you in there - they won’t be much longer.”

_______________________________________________________________

“How much longer is this going to take? We’ve got a wedding to get to – my daughter’s!” Johnny fumed and glared at the police officer.

“I’m just waiting for some ID checks to come through.” The officer pressed the receiving button on his radio and listened to the information. 

“This is ridiculous,” Carla complained. “Look, we haven’t done anything wrong – do you really believe that we knew the limo was stolen?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” the officer explained. “How do you know the driver?”

“I don’t - a mate owed me a favour and got me a good deal,” Johnny explained before he turned to Kate. “Look love, if I knew he was dodgy, I never would’ve hired him.”

“I know.”

The officer’s radio came alive again and he spoke into it before addressing the group. “Have you got anything on you that you shouldn’t have?”

“Like what?” Johnny asked. 

“Any weapons, drug paraphernalia, anything that could harm you or I?” The officer explained.

“Seriously, where am I gonna hide anything like that?” Carla scoffed and motioned to her tight fitted navy suit. “I had to be practically sewn into this, there’s no room for ‘owt!”

“Yeah, what am I gonna do, hide a knife in my garter?” Kate joked but she soon realised her mistake when the police officer spoke into his radio and requested a female officer to conduct a search and a van for transportation.

_______________________________________________________________

“C’mon, c’mon,” Imran paced up and down with his phone glued to his ear. “Fantastic - voice mail, again!”

“There you are,” Daniel said with relief in his voice. “The guests – slash – rabble have been seated, apparently Rana is a couple of minutes away from being ready and so we’re good to go. Where’s Kate?” he asked and looked around.

“Well, she’s not here, is she?!” Imran snapped and pressed his forefinger in between his eyebrows. “Sorry, I’ve been ringing Carla but it’s just going to voice mail.”

“I’ll try Kate,” Daniel offered and held the phone to his ear. “Voice mail. I’ll try Johnny,” he said but shook his head when his call went unanswered.

“Something must’ve happened; Jenny said they were right behind them,” Imran rubbed at his temples in concern. He heard footsteps behind him and he spun around to see Rana and Yasmeen slowly walking down the stairs. 

Rana was wearing a mermaid style satin dress with long sleeves and a neckline that reached her collarbones. It was a subtle sapphire colour with a gold lace trim on the sleeves and train. She wore a matching headscarf to cover the back of her hair, which was styled in a sophisticated (and complicated looking) side French braided bun. The look was finished off with matching sapphire and gold coloured sling back heels. 

“Ohhhh, hey sis, you’re not supposed to be here yet! Why don’t you go back to your room for a bit longer?”

“Why, what’s going on?” Rana walked slowly to accommodate Yasmeen and her sprained ankle. 

The older woman was determined to walk Rana down the aisle and had tried to manage without her protective boot but it had proved too painful and she had been forced to admit defeat. The simple long, flowing navy dress Yasmeen had on, however, was doing a good job in hiding the clunky boot.

“Wow, Rana, you look magnificent!” Daniel gushed and held out his hands as he helped both women down the last few steps, while Imran tried to call the missing Connor’s again.

“Ahem!” Yasmeen cleared her throat.

“Of course you look fabulous, Yasmeen, that goes without saying – I just didn’t want to make the bride jealous on her big day!” Daniel winked at the two women. “Don’t forget to save the last dance for me, will you?” he pecked the back of Yasmeen’s hand.

“Okay, that’s enough of the distraction tactics; does someone want to tell me what’s going on?” Rana asked and narrowed her eyes when she saw a familiar person from the corner of her eye. “Err, who invited you?!”

“Nice to see you too, nursey,” Imogen teased. “My sister’s the photographer.”

“So, why’re you here?”

“Didn’t your wife tell you? She invited me.”

“I don’t think so!”

“It’s true! If me or my wife attended, Kate got an extra discount off her dress, and since my lovely wife is at home looking after the baby...”

“...here you are.”

“Here I am,” Imogen confirmed with a mischievous grin. “But if she doesn’t show up, she’s still got to pay.”

“What do you mean, ‘if she doesn’t show up’,?” Rana looked at her brother and Daniel for answers. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?” 

“Imogen, why don’t you go and check on your sister?” Daniel requested through gritted teeth. Imogen rolled her eyes, disappointed not to be involved in whatever drama was occurring and reluctantly joined the guests. 

Daniel took a deep breath as he prepared to answer Rana’s question when a police van suddenly pulled up at the front of the hotel and he, Rana, Yasmeen and Imran watched in astonishment as the Connor’s hurriedly jumped out of the back and rushed into the building. 

Kate skidded to a halt in front of her bride. Her shallow breathing had nothing to do with rushing and everything to do with the beauty in front of her. Tears burned the back of her eyes and the butterflies in her stomach multiplied as she took in the vision of perfection.

Time stood still as both women took in the sight of their bride and were stunned into silence. The moment was broken when Johnny laid a gentle hand on his daughter’s arm and asked if she was ready.

Daniel led the way and quickly took his seat in the front row beside Michelle, his fellow usher, followed by the ‘best people’, Carla and Imran, who stood at the front of the altar. 

The couple shared a giddy smile as the opening bars of Gabrielle Aplin’s version of ‘The power of love’ began to play as Johnny and Yasmeen walked them down the aisle. 

Dreams are like angels  
They keep bad at bay  
Love is the light  
Scaring darkness away  
I'm so in love with you  
Make love your goal

The couple had instructed Michelle and Daniel to show the guests to their seats but had decided against ‘sides’ and instead requested that their guests mingle. As long as the Connor’s were seated at the front rows, Kate and Rana had left it to the usher’s discretion.

Audible gasps could be heard as the two beautiful women walked past and coupled with the simple yet beautiful music, several guests had to wipe tears from their eyes, while Mary was openly sobbing. 

The power of love  
A force from above  
Cleaning my soul  
Flame on burn desire  
Love with tongues of fire  
Purge the soul  
Make love your goal

Kate and Rana reached the altar just as the song finished on the word ‘goal’ and Johnny helped an unsteady Yasmeen to her seat.

“Welcome and please be seated. We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Kaitlin Fionnoula Connor and Rana Sarina Habeeb. Kate and Rana’s relationship stands for love, honesty, loyalty but most of all, friendship. Before they knew love, they were friends and it is from the seed of friendship that their love grew and flourished. Marriage is an act of faith and commitment and should be a lifelong consecration of loving kindness and the will to make it last. With the care and responsibility towards self and one another comes the potential for full and happy lives and by gathering the wishes of happiness for Kate and Rana, we assure them that our hearts are in tune with theirs.”

Carla and Imran stepped forward and placed the rings in Kate and Rana’s hands respectively. 

“Kaitlin Fionnoula Connor, do you take Rana Sarina Habeeb to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, protect her, honour and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?”

“I will,” Kate swallowed the lump in her throat and slid the ring onto Rana’s finger with slightly shaking hands. It took a few gentle twists to get it into position and she tenderly rubbed her thumb over the jewellery. 

“Rana Sarina Habeeb, do you take Kaitlin Fionnoula Connor Habeeb to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, protect her, honour and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?”

“I will,” Rana breathed out and placed the matching ring on Kate’s delicate finger and squeezed her hands.

“May these rings be a symbol of unbroken unity, may Kate and Rana always find love in each other and may they continue to grow in understanding and compassion. I now pronounce you wife and wife; you may now kiss the bride.”

Kate and Rana wasted no time and quickly pulled the other close for a sweet and tender kiss. Kate cupped her wife’s face and caressed her cheekbones with her thumbs while they rested their foreheads together. Unable to resist, they went in for another kiss while their friends and family whooped and cheered in delight. 

“I love you, Mrs Connor,” Rana whispered and closed her eyes as Kate gently wiped the tear rolling down her cheek.

“I love you too, Mrs Connor.”

_______________________________________________________________

“So, are you gonna tell me why you turned up in a police van?” Rana asked as they walked hand in hand around the hotel grounds and Kate began to explain the earlier events.

“I know it’s not funny but at least it’s something to tell the grandkids one day,” Kate quipped and bumped Rana’s shoulder. “Reckon we can sneak away for a bit before the others come out?” Kate crooked an eyebrow as she scanned their surroundings.

“There, behind that wall,” Rana suggested and squealed in delight as her wife dragged her toward the secluded area. Kate pinned Rana to the wall and wasted no time in fusing their lips together for a smoldering kiss. 

“You are so beautiful. I can’t wait to get my hands on you properly,” Kate moaned in between dizzying kisses.

“Me ‘n’ all,” Rana agreed as they began a well practiced grind but both women were soon groaning in annoyance when they heard their names being called. “It was nice while it lasted,” Rana grumbled and the two conducted a quick makeup and hair check before they left their hiding place and casually strolled toward their family to get ready for the wedding photos.

“The hotel’s got lovely grounds, hasn’t it girls?” Carla said and the two women nodded their agreement. “What’s behind that wall? It must be interesting ‘cos you were behind there for quite some time,” she teased but before Kate could make a sassy comeback she spotted Eva and Susie walking in their direction.

The toddler was a little unsteady on her feet and held her mum’s hand for balance but she soon let go when she saw her auntie Kate and picked up the speed as fast as her little legs could carry her. 

“KayKay!”

Kate met her niece halfway and quickly scooped her up in her arms for a cuddle. Susie buried her head in the crook of Kate’s neck and sucked her thumb. Kate carried her over to their friends and family and began to whisper in her ear.

“Hi RaRa,” Susie said and listened to the whispered words in her ear. “Yew yook pwetty, RaRa.”

“Thanks, babe,” Rana looked at her wife with a fond expression. “You look pretty too.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?” The general chatter died down as the group paid attention to Lauren, the photographer. “Can all the family members please stand either side of the brides?” she said and moved her hand around as she instructed them to get into the perfect position. Kate and Rana held hands while holding their matching bouquets in the other. 

“Great. Now can I have the brides, best people and parents?” she said and Rana shared a beaming smile with Yasmeen. “Okay, now just the brides and best people,” she asked as she took several photos, “and now the brides and parents,” she continued to click away, “and now just the brides, please.”

“Bossy little cow, isn’t she?” Kate quipped in a hushed voice.

“Must run in the family,” Rana whispered back and Kate sniggered before they began to pose for their photos.

_______________________________________________________________

The guests not involved in the wedding photos had congregated in the dining hall when word had spread about a complimentary glass of bubbly on arrival. Beth and Gemma had been embroiled in a pushing and shoving match, which involved elbows, until Mary had taken it upon herself to blow on a whistle which she had seemingly plucked out of thin air and demanded order. Not wanting their eardrums to suffer anymore abuse, the women promised to behave themselves. 

“Do you think Johnny’s a billionaire, or summat?” Rosie asked her sister as they wandered around the tables, looking for their placements.

“Why?”

“Well, just look at this place!” Rosie pointed out the tastefully, yet expensive looking, decorations. 

Each table had a small, fresh bouquet of cream and blue coloured roses, a crystal champagne flute and cutlery that had polished to within an inch of its life. The main center piece however, was the gigantic crystal chandelier in the middle of the high rise ceiling. 

“I hope the bouquet doesn’t get stuck in that!” Rosie joked before she frowned. “Wait, who’s gonna throw the bouquet, are they going to do it one at a time or together or not at all?”

“I don’t know, Rosie,” Sophie sighed and breathed a sigh of relief when she discovered that Gemma was sitting at the same table. “Help me,” she mouthed to the blonde and subtly cut her eyes to her sister.

“Oh, Rosie, Imran was looking for you,” Gemma quickly thought on her feet. 

“Really? Did he say what it was about?”

“No, but I think it was important.”

“I bet he wants to talk to me about wedding traditions; you know where the best man and the bridesmaid get it on.”

“Er, you’re not a bridesmaid, remember?” Sophie reminded her and Rosie quickly dismissed her with a wave of her hand.

“I went on the hen do, I’m as good as!” Rosie stated and clocked Imran as he entered the hall. “How do I look?” she asked as she expertly reapplied her lipstick. 

“Desperate,” Sophie deadpanned.

“Great, then it should be easy because I am not playing hard to get,” Rosie quickly bounced her shoulders up and down before she made a beeline for the lawyer.

“God help him,” Sophie shook her head as she watched her sister work her ‘charm’.

“So, if we’re practically bridesmaids cos we went on the ‘en do, does that mean that you an’ Carla are s’posed to follow tradition ‘n’ all?” Gemma asked and Sophie almost spat her drink out. “If I swung that way, I wouldn’t say no to having her as my cougar.”

“How much have you had?” Sophie pointed to Gemma’s empty flute.

“Pfft, of that? Nothing. This,” she pulled a small hip flask out from her bra, “is much more up my street!” 

Sophie simply laughed and looked up when the room erupted in applause at the arrival of the brides. 

Kate and Rana spent time mingling and catching up with the guests until it was time for the buffet. The food itself wasn’t too fancy with trays of sandwiches, mini pizzas, bitesize vol-au-vents and the like and the guests soon returned to their tables with their plates piled high.

“Have you tried this? It’s delicious,” Kate held a small vol-au-vent between her thumb and forefinger and fed it to her wife.

“Mmm, yum,” Rana teased as she gently sucked Kate’s fingers into her mouth. “The vol-au-vent’s not bad, either.”

Kate chuckled and pulled Rana in for a kiss. “You, Mrs. Connor, are very naughty.”

“I know,” Rana spoke against her wife’s lips. “Don’t pretend that you don’t love it, Mrs. Connor.”

“I would never,” Kate said and kissed her again. “D’ya reckon we’ll be able to sneak away early?”

“Mmm, I hope so – I can’t wait to give you your wedding present,” Rana whispered directly into Kate’s ear.

“What is it?”

“You’ll have to wait and see, won’t you?”

Kate opened her mouth to protest but was interrupted by her dad standing up and tapping his fork against his glass.

“Is it on?” Johnny spoke into the microphone and pulled it back slightly when it screeched. “Is that better?” he asked Jenny and continued when she confirmed it was. “You’ll have to forgive me – I’ve left my speech at the hotel,” he apologised and several guests jokingly groaned. “I’ll start off by saying thank you all for coming and sharing this day with my beautiful daughter and her lovely wife,” he raised his glass and took a sip of champagne. “I’m sure you’ll all agree that they both look a million dollars and I couldn’t be prouder,” he said and placed a tender hand on Kate’s shoulder and smiled when Kate placed her hand over his. 

“I remember the day my little girl was born and I remember looking into her huge brown eyes and thinking; ‘this one is going to have me wrapped around her little finger’! and I wasn’t wrong – it’s still true to this day. It’s not always been easy, though and there are two people missing that I wish were here today but I know they’re watching and I know that they’re so proud of you and the woman you’ve become,” he paused to raise his glass and Rana gently squeezed Kate’s thigh and kissed her hand. 

“When Kate came out to me, I’ll admit that I didn’t really handle it as well as I should have, of course that was before I realised that I wasn’t going to have to threaten any blokes if they came within ten feet of my little girl! But that’s not to say that I liked any of the girls she brought home, because I didn’t, but Rana’s the exception. She’s the first and only woman I’ve genuinely liked, and I’m not just saying that because you’re sitting there. When Kate told me that she and Rana had gotten together, I knew she’d found her soulmate and I couldn’t wish for a more perfect partner for my daughter. Please raise your glass, to Kate and Rana!” 

“To Kate and Rana!” 

“Welcome to the family, sweetheart,” Johnny pressed a kiss to Rana’s cheek before he motioned for Imran to take the microphone. “It’s your turn, mate,” he said when he was met with a confused and blank look

“Uh, wait, I thought Yasmeen was doing a speech...?”

“No, you said you were going to do it,” Yasmeen insisted and Imran reluctantly stood as he took the microphone from Johnny.

“Hi, this is a bit awkward because I didn’t know I was supposed to be doing a speech,” Imran babbled. “Oh, I know – I could tell them about that time when you were seventeen and you....”

Rana quickly snatched the microphone away from her brother to stop him from sharing any embarrassing information. “What my darling brother means to say is, the bar is now open and drinks are all on him!” she declared and the sudden screech of chairs scraping across the floor echoed around the room as the guests scrambled to the bar.

“You sneaky little...”

“You started it.”

_______________________________________________________________

The cake had been cut and the slices had been dished out and it was finally time for the brides to have their first dance. Kate and Rana took their position in the centre of the dance floor; Kate rested her hands on Rana’s slim hips and Rana looped her arms over Kate’s strong shoulders and they began to sway when the opening bars of ‘At last’ by Etta James began to play. The couple swayed back and forth as Kate gently sang the words in her wife’s ear.

At last  
My love has come along  
My lonely days are over  
And life is like a song

Oh yeah yeah  
At last

The skies above are blue  
My heart was wrapped up in clover  
The night I looked at you

I found a dream, that I could speak to  
A dream that I can call my own  
I found a thrill to press my cheek to  
A thrill that I have never known

Oh yeah yeah  
You smiled, you smiled  
Oh and then the spell was cast  
And here we are in heaven  
For you are mine... At Last

The couple stayed entwined on the dance floor as an acoustic version of ‘No one’ by Alicia Keys began to play, followed by Carrie Underwood’s song ‘Heartbeat’ and then ‘Alone’ by Jessie Ware.

Goosebumps covered Kate’s body at the feeling of Rana’s warm hands rubbing up and down her back and her warm breath against her neck. “Hmm, this is the best part of today,” Kate spoke softly. She pressed a kiss to Rana’s neck and buried deeper into her wife’s arms. 

“You mean the best part so far - I’ve still got to give your present.”

“Oh, I’ve not forgotten,” Kate quirked an eyebrow and kissed her wife.

“We can go after this song, if you want. Most people are drunk anyway so they won’t miss us.” Rana looked around and saw that although most guests were indeed drunk, Daniel had kept his word and was carefully dancing with Yasmeen. 

“Mmm, brains and beauty – how did I get so lucky?” Kate wondered out loud and kissed her wife again. She signaled to Ryan to play their leaving song and he nodded in understanding.

“Ladies and gentlemen please give a round of applause as Mrs and Mrs Connor leave the dance floor,” he said and all the guests formed a line as ‘Greatest day’ by Take That began to play; 

Today this could be, the greatest day of our lives  
Before it all ends, before we run out of time  
Stay close to me  
Stay close to me  
Watch the world come alive tonight  
Stay close to me.  
Tonight this could be the greatest night of our lives  
Let's make a new start  
The future is ours to find  
Can you see it, can you see it in my eyes  
Can you feel it now, can you hold it in your arms tonight?

Kate and Rana left the hall to rapturous applause, well wishes and lots of hugs and kisses. The two women took the lift and practically ran towards their honeymoon suite as soon as the doors opened. 

“Hold on,” Kate swooped down to pick up Rana in the traditional bridal style carry and Rana couldn’t help but laugh uncontrollably as she wrapped her arms around Kate’s shoulders.

Kate kicked the door shut and gently lowered Rana to her feet. Both women removed their shoes and let out simultaneous sighs as their aching feet were released from their tight confinement.

“Now is it time for my present?” Kate eagerly asked and watched as her wife circled her like a hungry predator hunts its prey.

“Yeah, it is.” 

End of chapter ten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read and leave comments and kudos. I appreciate *all* the feedback I get. Recently, I read two pieces of negative reviews on a different social media page (I won't say which because I'm not sure of the rules regarding linking/naming the site etc) One said the plot is rushed and the dialogue is too involved and the other said that the story can be hit and miss. First of all, please allow me to stress once again that I appreciate all feedback (although I'd be lying if I said that I *like* getting negative ones) and I take everything on board. I'm not going to get defensive because everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Also, I *know* I'm not the best writer and I would never claim to be, so getting feedback is important to me because it helps me to improve and lets me know what you, the readers, like and dislike. I hope I'm not sounding ungrateful, that's not my intention at all and as I said, I appreciate those who take the time to leave a comment, but please let me know if you're enjoying this story and if you're not, please be honest and let me know what you don't like and if you agree with the negative comments above. Thank you. :)


	11. chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Thanks for the lovely comments and kudos - I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know your thoughts. 
> 
> :)

New beginnings

Chapter eleven

Rana continued to circle her wife and stopped when she was standing directly in front of her wife. She reached around Kate’s back and slowly lowered the zipper of her dress. Once the garment was undone, she carefully gathered it in her steady hands and slipped it off of Kate’s body. 

Kate held Rana’s shoulders for balance as she stepped out of the dress and swallowed in anticipation when she saw that Rana was devouring her with her eyes.

Rana placed Kate’s wedding dress onto the hanger and turned back to face her wife. She reached behind her to take off her dress but was quickly intercepted by Kate’s hands.

“Let me,” Kate insisted and slowly removed the delicate dress. She hung it up next to her own and turned back to her wife.

“Jinx,” Rana grinned when she saw that they had both picked lingerie as their ‘something blue’.

“It’s not really my style but do you like it?” Kate ran both hands down the silky bodice and garters.

“I love it,” Rana whispered hotly and Kate was sure she heard her growl. “But I want it off, now.”

Kate felt an immediate rush of arousal at Rana’s demanding tone and moved closer. Their hands and mouths became a blur as they hurriedly worked to remove each other’s last pieces of clothing while they kissed frantically.

Kate walked them backwards toward the bed but to her surprise, Rana had found an extra ounce of strength and had managed to push Kate onto the bed first. Kate’s body lightly bounced on the mattress and she looked at her wife with an impressed expression.

“What?” Rana questioned as she crawled on all fours until she was on top of Kate’s supine body. Rana didn’t give her time to answer and quickly claimed her lips in a kiss that left Kate breathless. She peppered hot kisses from her lips, cheeks, jaw and her ear lobe. “Turn over.” 

“What for?” Kate asked with a hint of trepidation.

“I want to give you your present,” Rana sat up and straddled Kate’s hips. She started a slow grind against Kate’s defined abs and reached for her wife’s hands for balance.

“Hmm, I’m all for trying new things an’ all but not...that.”

“Eh? What’re you on about?” Rana opened her eyes and stopped her movement. 

“You know....that....” Kate blushed. “Don’t make me say it.”

“Oh my god!” Rana had to bite her lips to prevent her laughter escaping.

“Is that not...?”

“No!” 

“Oh. Good,” Kate was relived. “So, what’s my present then?”

“Turn over and you’ll find out.” Rana climbed off of Kate’s body and waited for her to lay on her front. “Comfy?”

“Mmhm.”

“Good. Close your eyes.” 

“What’re you doing over there?” Kate asked. She could hear Rana rustling about in several bags and her curiosity grew tenfold. “Babe?” 

“Right, open them.”

Kate opened her eyes and saw several bottles on the nightstand. “What’re they?”

“Massage oils,” Rana simply explained and unscrewed the cap of the first one. She brought it to her nose and hummed as the aroma filled her nostrils. “What do you think?” She held it close to Kate’s nose.

“It smells like ‘love hearts’.”

“It’s an erotic oil,” Rana explained and straddled Kate’s lower back. She leaned down so that her mouth was against her wife’s ear. “And I’ve got enough bottles for your whole body.”

“Jesus.” Kate closed her eyes. “I didn’t know you were a trained masseuse.” 

“Well, I’m not gonna be switching careers any time soon but I’ve got a certificate,” Rana said and poured a generous amount of liquid in her hands and rubbed her palms together. “Remember when you had almost a month worth of night shifts?”

“Ugh, I hate those.”

“Yeah, that was kinda my doing; I convinced Michelle to put you on those so that I could take night classes in massage therapy.” 

“You said you were on call!”

“Ah, ah, shush,” Rana pushed her down. “You need to relax. Anyway, the semantics aren’t important; you want your present, don’t you?” she asked and Kate groaned in pleasure as Rana’s hands began to work their magic.

Rana worked her hands and fingers in smooth circular motions and worked her way along Kate’s neck, shoulders and back. She was attuned to her wife’s body language and when she reached a specific area that made Kate squirm and gasp, she paid special attention to that part of Kate’s body. 

“You’re not falling asleep, are you?”

“....No.....”

She continued down the strong plains of Kate’s back and poured a small amount of oil directly onto Kate buttocks.

“Fuck, that’s cold!” Kate shuddered but her movement was restricted by Rana’s body.

“Just making sure you’re awake,” Rana chuckled and instead of massaging the oil with her hands, she brought her lips to the soft, pillowy flesh.

“I thought you weren’t interested in...that...?”

“I’m not. And you can say it, you know – there’s no need to be... ‘anal’ about it.” Rana teased and pressed open mouth kisses to the sensitive flesh. For some reason, Kate was sometimes a little bit shy when it came to sexy talk. 

“Rana....!” Kate drew out her wife’s name and buried her face into the pillow. A sudden thought occurred to her and she lifted her head to try and look behind her. “Wait, are you eating the oil?” 

“Did I not mention it’s edible? Here, have a taste.” Rana reached up and painted Kate’s lips with the smooth liquid. “Good?”

Kate licked her lips. “Mmm.” 

Rana leaned forward and kissed her wife. The angle was restricting her movement and didn’t allow Kate to deepen the kiss, so she quickly flipped onto her back. She threaded one hand into Rana’s thick, luscious hair whilst the other trailed a path down her body.

Rana hummed as she got lost in the kiss and the touches but pulled back slightly when she felt Kate’s probing fingers between her legs. 

“What..?” Kate’s eyes popped open at the loss of contact and she whimpered when she saw that Rana was sitting upright, in between her legs. “Come back.” She reached out a hand to try and coax her wife back but Rana wouldn’t budge.

“Not yet. I haven’t finished your massage.” Rana applied more oil to her hands. “But, judging by the way you’re trying to rub the skin off my knee,” she nodded toward Kate’s grinding hips, “I don’t think it’s going to take much longer.” 

She bent her head to Kate’s left breast while her hand massaged the right. She brought both nipples to stiff peaks and pulled back with a pop when she felt Kate grab two fistfuls of her hair and her hips fly off the mattress.

“Did you just...?”

“Yeah...”

Rana grinned proudly and lowered her head to continue. She could feel Kate nudging her to go lower and she was only too happy to oblige. Kate’s abs were quite possibly her favourite part of her wife’s body (apart from the obvious, of course) and she could sometimes become so enamoured by the defined and prominent muscles, she could spend hours worshiping them with her hands and mouth.

Kate, however, had other ideas and tried another nudge.

“So impatient; I’m not done yet.” She ran her hands up and down her stomach. She clenched her thighs together when she felt the pool of wetness that had gathered there and she swung a leg either side of Kate’s body so that she could grind against her. All the teasing had backfired and now she needed some relief.

Rana felt the pressure of Kate’s hand in between her legs and she groaned when she felt two fingers gently slip inside. Her hips began to wildly rock against the thrusts and before she knew it, she was gasping out Kate’s name. She slumped forward and rested her head against Kate’s chest as she recuperated for a moment.

“Stay there,” she said before she twisted her body so that her feet were either side of Kate’s head and her mouth was level with Kate’s clit. Kate was humming with excitement and quickly wrapped her arms around Rana’s thighs as she got into position. “We can finish the massage another time.”

_______________________________________________________________

Kate felt the warm breath against the back of her neck and a let out a small shiver. She pulled the arms around her a little bit tighter and settled back into position as the little spoon. She sighed contently and burrowed deeper into the pillow at the exact same time an extremely loud seagull flew past the window.

“Those fucking birds,” she grumbled and Rana let out a puff of laughter. Kate smiled at the sound and lifted Rana’s left hand. She brought it to her lips and delicately kissed the ring. 

“Morning Mrs Connor,” Rana pressed tiny kisses to the back of Kate’s neck.

“Morning Mrs Connor,” Kate rolled over to face her wife. “How is it possible that you’re more beautiful since the last time I saw you?” she gushed and softly traced her fingertips along Rana’s perfect face.

“You’re not so bad yourself, you know.” A light blush covered Rana’s cheeks and she leaned forwards for a kiss. “What time is it anyway?”

“Why, have you got somewhere to be?”

“No, but I’m starving.”

Kate chuckled and reached up to get her fitbit from the nightstand. “It’s almost 11 o’clock!” 

“Mmm, no wonder I’m starving – we’ve definitely worked up an appetite.”

The two women had been completely immersed in one another as they made love well into the night. They had woken up a couple of times in the early hours of the morning and had enjoyed more rounds of love making. Rana suspected that they had finally drifted off to sleep just before sunrise, out of sheer exhaustion rather than being satisfied.

“I’m gonna call for room service, see if they can sort out brunch or summat.” Kate made a quick call to the desk whilst Rana used the bathroom. After using the facilities, she slipped back into bed and snuggled into Kate’s side.

“Did you order something?”

“Yeah, they said they’ll bring it up straight away. Apparently, it was all arranged earlier this morning and they were just waiting for a phone call.” Kate sifted her fingers through Rana’s messy hair.

“Who arranged it, d’ya reckon?” 

“Carla, probably.” 

A knock at the door notified them of the arrival of their brunch and they slipped on matching dressing gowns before Kate answered the door.

“Let’s see what we’ve got, shall we?” Kate set the various plates and bowls down onto the small breakfast table. 

The spread consisted of a stack of blueberry pancakes and maple syrup, Belgian waffles with a dusting of icing sugar and cocoa, fresh fruit and a selection of small pastries. There was also two teapots filled with hot water, a small jug of milk, tea bags, sugar, a mini jar of coffee and two glasses of mimosas.

“Let’s start, shall we?” Kate waved a hand over the table. “Tea or coffee?”

“Tea, please,” Rana took her dressing gown off and hung it on the back of the door. “I’m instilling a ‘no clothes’ rule, so gimme your robe, babe.”

Kate chuckled and handed it over. She sat down and filled her plate with various items and moved her chair back to allow room for Rana to sit down. “Are you also instilling a ‘no chair’ rule?” she asked as Rana got comfortable on her lap.

“Yep. Those are the first two rules as wife and wife,” she said and popped a piece of pancake in her mouth. She watched as a string of syrup dripped onto Kate’s chest and she quickly dove after it with a cheeky grin.

They continued to polish off their breakfast by feeding each other bites and soon every item had been consumed. Both women were now full and Kate suggested a relaxing bubble bath, to which Rana readily agreed. 

Once the tub was filled and the temperature was just right, Kate got in first and pulled her wife backwards to recline against her chest. They sipped from their glasses of mimosa and relaxed as the hot water and delicious smelling bubbles soothed their tired bodies.

“I feel like I’m gonna fall asleep,” Kate said as she trailed her fingers up and down Rana’s thigh. “If I drown, I suppose you could always give me the kiss of life,” she whispered in her ear before she kissed the shell.

“How romantic,” Rana drawled as she played with Kate’s fingers and she shifted a bit when she felt Kate’s fingers in between her legs. “Mmm, I’m not sure if I can, babe, I’m still a bit sore from last night.”

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Kate asked in alarm.

“No, babe, last night was more than perfect, I’m just aching a bit, that’s all.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Rana assured her wife but could still sense a slight hesitancy so she grasped her wrist and guided it in between her legs. “I’m fine, just go slow.”

“I will,” Kate promised and gently rubbed a single finger over Rana’s sensitive clit. “Is this okay?” she asked and kissed the junction between her neck and shoulder.

“Yessss....” Rana squeezed Kate’s thigh with one hand and her wrist with the other as the soft, circular movement continued. “Just...like...that...” she breathed out as she quickly climaxed. She hummed happily as she reclined against her wife and turned her head for a kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

_______________________________________________________________

“Here we are, home sweet home,” Kate said as she unlocked the front door to their flat. 

“Mmm, back to reality” Rana smiled and wheeled their cases to the bedroom. “Oh my god!”

Kate practically sprinted into the bedroom at the sound of Rana’s cry and immediately burst into amused laughter as she saw the reason for her wife’s outburst -the entire room was covered in wedding presents.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot about that; that was Imran’s idea.”

“Can we open them now?”

“Err, sorry babe it’ll have to wait; my dad messaged me when you were asleep on the train, he wants us to meet him in the Rovers for a drink.”

“Okay,” Rana agreed and turned to face her wife. “By the way, where’s my wedding present?” she asked and looped her arms over her shoulders.

“Ahh, it’s not quite ready yet,” Kate explained and dropped a few kisses on Rana’s lips. “Soon though, I promise.”

“Do I get a clue what it is?”

“Nope.” Kate ignored Rana’s pout. “Come on, my dad’s waiting.” 

_______________________________________________________________

A cheer erupted as Kate and Rana entered the Rovers and they walked hand in hand toward the booth Johnny and Jenny were occupying.

“Ahh, it’s good to see you both,” Johnny squeezed his daughter and daughter-in-law. “Sit down; I’ve got a bottle of bubbly on ice.”

The two women hugged Jenny before they sat in the opposite seats. Kate brought their joined hands to the table and frowned as her dad walked directly behind the bar and helped himself to a bottle of champagne.

“Err, dad, what’re you doing?” Kate questioned with a horrified expression. “Have you paid for that?” she asked when he returned to the table with four glasses.

“I don’t need to.”

“Eh?”

“Didn’t I tell you, love? Jenny and I bought this place,” he said and poured out four glasses of champagne. “We put in an offer before the wedding and it was accepted. There are just a few boring legalities to sort out and then it’s ours.”

“Congratulations.” Rana tapped her glass against her in-laws.

Kate looked at her phone when she heard her text alert. “Sorry, do you mind if we take a rain check? I’ve got to show Rana something.”

“Didn’t you do enough of that on your wedding night?” Jenny asked and Rana almost spat out her drink.

“Very funny. I was gonna suggest you could both come too, but now it just sounds weird.” Kate cringed. 

“Is this ‘something’ my wedding present?” Rana asked excitedly.

“Let’s go and find out, shall we?” Kate grinned back and held Rana’s hand as she led her out of the pub. “Hold on a sec,” she instructed and held one hand over her eyes whilst she guided her forward with a hand on her hip. A small crowd had gathered to watch and Kate rolled her eyes at their nosy neighbours. 

“Is it much further?” Rana asked and held onto Kate’s arm for balance.

“Almost there,” Kate promised and guided her wife forwards. “Okay, we’re here. Open your eyes.....now.”

Rana opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times as her eyes readjusted to the light and she gasped at what was in front of her. “Is that....?”

“Yep, it’s our van,” Kate nodded. “I asked Kev and Ty to renovate it again. Have a look inside.” 

Kevin tossed the keys to Kate and she handed them to her wife.

“Thanks.” Kate shook the mechanics hand. “I’ll pop over later with the payment.”

“There’s no rush, I know ya sound. C’mon, Ty, best be getting back.” Kevin flicked his head at his business partner. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Kate smiled and looked at her wife. “Shall we?” 

Rana nodded and pulled the sliding door open. She held a hand to her mouth as she saw the high-spec, yet minimalistic, decor of cherry wood and white. Kate pulled down the small steps that led up to the doors and held Rana’s hand as she climbed them. 

A sink, kettle and a small gas hob had been installed in two counters on the side of the van, a double sofa bed was fixed into the back of the van where the double doors used to be and the original counter behind the front seats that Kate had insisted remain (Kevin and Tyrone still didn’t know why) had been turned into a breakfast bar, with stools that could be folded away into cupboards underneath the counter. 

“I know we’ve only briefly talked about travelling after our honeymoon but I thought this would be better than renting a campervan. What do you think?” Kate asked and awaited her wife’s answer.

“I think...you’re the most amazing person in the world, Kate Connor, and I love you so much.” 

End of chapter eleven.


	12. Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there! As always, thanks so much for reading and leaving me lovely comments and kudos. :) I'm not sure why but I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. :/ I hope you enjoy it, though and please let me know what you think. :)

New beginnings

Chapter twelve

Rana stood at the breakfast counter and ate her cereal as she waited for the kettle to boil. She made herself a coffee and blew the top of her mug before she took a quick sip. She felt a pair of arms circle her waist from behind and she smiled as she leaned back into the embrace.

“Come back to bed,” Kate whined and buried her face into her wife’s neck.

“I can’t, I’m already running late.”

“Call in sick,” Kate pressed kisses to the inviting skin and slipped her hand underneath Rana’s shirt. “Tell ‘em I don’t feel well and that I need nurse Rana to stay at home to look after me.”

“Mmm, that sounds very tempting but also not very believable,” Rana finished her coffee and turned in Kate’s arms. “We’ve only been married a month and I’m already making my own breakfast; I thought you made a promise in your vow to make me breakfast in bed, every morning?” 

“Mmm, I’ll have to make it up to you then, won’t I?” Kate tenderly kissed her lips. “How about I meet you for lunch?” She suggested with a squeeze to her wife’s hips.

“Sorry babe, no can do. I’ve got that seminar at the high school today, remember? I’m sure I told you.” Rana linked her arms behind Kate’s neck.

“I don’t think so,” Kate shook her head. “Oh, wait, is it about babies?”

“Yeah, I can’t say I’m looking forward to talking to a bunch of fourteen year olds all day but we can’t all spend the day watching ‘supermarket sweep’, can we?”

“Hey, I’m allowed to spend my day off being lazy if I want to!” Kate protested and pouted before she fixed her wife with a more serious look.

“What?” Rana quirked an eyebrow. “Have I got cereal on my face?”

“No, I was just...I was...thinking...it’s been a while since we last talked about it....”

“Talked about what?”

“Having a baby.”

“Ooookayyy, and that’s my cue to leave!”

“No, I’m serious.”

“Me too babe. Look, I’m running really late, can we talk about this later?”

“Okay,” Kate conceded and reluctantly ended the embrace.

“I’ll see you tonight, Mrs Connor. Love you.” Rana quickly kissed her wife before she left for work. Kate made herself a cup of coffee before she settled on the sofa to watch her favourite game show.

_______________________________________________________________

“Blimey, how many lemons did you suck on to get a face like that?” Jenny teased as Kate approached the bar. She slumped against the solid wood and rested her chin on her forearms. “How come you’re flying solo, where’s Rana?”

“At work.”

“Ah, so that’s why you’ve got a mump on? You’re having withdrawal symptoms,” Jenny smiled.

“Is it that obvious?” Kate asked and pouted and Jenny nodded. “Is my dad about?” 

“Yeah, he said he’s doing paper work but I know it’s just code word for him to read the paper and skive off,” Jenny waved her step-daughter around to the other side of the bar and knocked on the closed living room door. “You have a visitor.”

“Oh, hello love!” Johnny quickly folded away his newspaper. “Just checking the financial pages, you know shares and that.”

“I’ll leave you to it,” Jenny patted Kate’s shoulder and shut the door behind her as she left the room.

“Is something the matter love?” Johnny made his daughter a cup of tea before he sat on the couch and put his arm around her shoulders. “Has something happened with Rana?”

“No, we’re fine, better than fine actually,” Kate smiled as she thought about her wife. “It’s nothing like that,” Kate shook her head and sipped her tea.

“So what’s troublin’ ya then, sweetheart?” Johnny squeezed her closer.

“This morning, I brought up having a baby and she practically ran out of the door.”

“Oh.”

“She said she was running late and we’d talk later,” Kate sighed as she replayed the conversation back in her head. “I’m being daft, aren’t I?”

“Maybe a bit, love,” Johnny pulled a sympathetic face. “I didn’t know you were thinking about babies again.”

“I never stopped thinking about it.” Kate admitted with a sigh. “When we first started talking about it, we weren’t ready but now I am. I don’t know what to do.”

“Talk to her,” Johnny squeezed her shoulder. “Tell her how you feel, you might be surprised.”

“Do you know summat, then?” Kate looked at him suspiciously.

“Me? No, don’t be daft!” Johnny chuckled before he turned serious. “I just know from experience that it’s best to talk about what’s on your mind before it gets too much. Otherwise, well, you know....”

“Yeah.” Kate’s voice was soft as she thought about Aidan and she hugged her dad tighter. “I love you.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Now, if you’re at a loose end and you want something to occupy your time, why don’t you help out behind the bar for a bit? I’ll pay ya.”

“With an offer like that, how can I refuse?” Kate nudged her dad’s knee as she got up from the sofa. She opened the door and stumbled backwards when someone crashed into her. “What’re you doing? Were you listening?!” 

“No! Jenny asked me ta get ya dad cos it’s getting busy!” Gemma protested but Kate wasn’t convinced.

_______________________________________________________________

After initially agreeing to just help out over lunch, Kate was still behind the Rovers bar four hours later. She wondered how anybody in the street managed to get any work done as many residents seemed to spend most of their working day having ‘a quick pint’ or a ‘liquid lunch’. She was just wiping the bar down when the Webster sisters walked in.

“Oh, hello Finnoula,” Rosie let out a cackle at her own joke and both Kate and Sophie shook their heads.

“Still going with that, eh? It’s been a month – I think it’s time you got better material.”

“Yeah Rosie, if you’re the only one who laughs, then it’s not funny,” Sophie agreed.

“Oh, whatever! I’ll have a white wine spritzer please, Kaitlin.”

“Just a coke for me, ta.”

“Oh, by the way, have you seen your dirty, lying scumbag of a brother-in-law recently?” Rosie asked.

“I think he just goes by Imran these days,” Kate shrugged and handed the sisters their drinks. “And no, I haven’t. Why?” She asked and took their money and handed them their change.

“When you see him, can you tell him that I’m not speaking to him and that I didn’t ask about him?”

“How am I supposed to tell him that if he’s not supposed to know?” Kate narrowed her eyes. “Great, now I’ve confused myself!”

“Kate, could you do us a favour, love? Could you grab some boxes of crisps? Someone keeps eating the profits.” Johnny glared at Gemma and handed Kate the cellar keys.

“Hey! I paid for these!” Gemma protested around a mouthful of crisps.

Kate grimaced and wiped a piece of projectile crisp from her arm and headed toward the cellar.

“Hey, wait - do you want some help?”

Kate was grateful to hear Gemma’s offer. If she was honest, the dark and damp cellar was giving her the creeps. “What?” Kate asked when she saw Gemma staring.

“Can I ask a question?”

“Don’t ask if you can ask a question, just ask it.”

“Okay, so earlier, when you were talking about kids with your dad...”

“...I knew you were listening!”

“How does that work? With lesbians, I mean.”

“Well, without going into too much depth, there’s a lot of planning involved – IVF or IUI, donors, that kind of stuff. Why?”

“So, you don’t just talk about it and then get one a few hours later?”

“No! What’re you on about?”

“So how come your missus has just walked in with a baby?”

“You what?!” Kate shoved the boxes of snacks into Gemma’s hands and ran up the stairs two at a time to find Rana standing at the bar with a car seat. “Uh, hi.”

“Hi babe!” Rana leaned forward for a kiss. “I bet you’re wondering what this is, eh?”

“Er, just a bit!” Kate’s eyebrows shot into her hairline. “Come through to the back.” She grabbed her wife’s hand and pulled her into the living room. “What’s going on? Is there something we need to discuss?” Kate asked as they sat down on the sofa with the occupied carrier at their feet.

“So that talk I had to give at the school involved handing out simulated dolls so that the kids would get a sense of responsibility and what looking after a baby would be like. Turns out there was a spare doll, so I asked if we could borrow it for a practice run.”

“Are you serious?” Kate was almost giddy with excitement. “I thought, you know, after this morning...I thought maybe you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“I did – I do, I really was running late. I had to catch the bus and I didn’t want to get the same one as the school kids – talk about awkward.” Rana explained. “Take a look. I should warn you though; he’s not cute and a little bit creepy.” Rana pointed to the car seat and cringed.

“Jesus!”

“I told you!”

Kate stared at the doll and carefully lifted it from the carrier. “What do we have to do?”

“We have to charge the battery first and then we’ve got him for 72 hours. We have to feed him, change his nappy – basically all the stuff you’d do with a real baby.”

“How do we know what he wants?” Kate laid him on her lap and gently held his hands.

“These wristbands have a sensor and it goes off when he needs something. It won’t tell us, we just have to figure it out. We both have one, by the way. It measures things like our emotional well-being and how quick we are to react to his needs.” Rana explained. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s a great idea.” Kate grinned. “Does he have a name already?”

“No, we can choose it. After he’s fully charged, we log onto the website and register his specifications like his weight, length, name, stuff like that and there’s an online tracker so after the 72 hours are up, you get a percentage rating.”

“And that tells you if you’re a good ‘parent’ or not?”

“Yep.”

“That sounds harsh,” Kate complained. “Be good practice though, won’t it?”

“Exactly,” Rana agreed. “Are you ready to show him off, then? Your dad and Jenny are probably wondering what’s going on!” 

“I’m not sure ‘show him off’ are the right words,” Kate grimaced and hooked the handle over her forearm. “Not to sound shallow, but our kid will be so much cuter.”

“Definitely!”

Kate and Rana held hands as they walked back into the pub and were immediately met with a barrage of questions, mostly from Johnny. After explaining the situation with the simulation doll, Jenny thought it was a good idea while Johnny was confused but he didn’t question their decision.

“D’ya know, he looks like someone but I can’t think who,” Jenny frowned and looked at the doll. “Rita, help me out, who does he look like?” 

Kate held up the doll so that Rita could get a better look.

“Oh, good heavens!” Rita gasped when she saw his face. “Sorry girls, I mean no offence.”

“None taken,” Kate shared a giggle with her wife. 

“You’re right, Jenny, he does remind me of someone,” Rita frowned as she tried to recall a name before she clicked her fingers. “Reg Holdsworth.”

“Who?” Kate asked.

“Oh, it was well before your time - he was this strange little beggar who took a shining to our Rita.” Jenny explained and pointed to the doll. “And he looked exactly like that.”

“You know what this means?” Kate gently squeezed her wife’s hand. “It’s a sign that we should name him Reggie.”

“Reggie?”

“Yeah. Think about it; he looks like Reg-what’s-his-face....?”

“Holdsworth.” Jenny and Rita answered at the same time.

“We have to REG-ister him online, he’s even got ‘registered’ printed on his bum!” Kate chuckled.

“I’m not sure I like the name though,” Rana sighed.

“You only have to like it for 72 hours, babe,” Kate reasoned. “We’ll pick something better when we have our own.”

Rana hesitated before she reluctantly agreed. “Okay, fine; Reggie it is.” 

Rosie looked between Kate, Rana and Reggie and fixed them with an peculiar look. “Um, am I like, the only one who realises it’s a doll?”

_______________________________________________________________

Kate handed Rana a glass of ‘Dev’s finest’ red wine and settled next to her wife on the sofa. She wrapped an arm around Rana’s shoulders and sighed happily when she snuggled into her side.

“Mmm, peace at last.”

“Shhh, don’t say that – you’ll wake him up!” Rana admonished.

“Sorry,” Kate winced. “I can’t believe he’s needed his nappy changed five times already tonight; he’s definitely doing it on purpose!” She complained. “Maybe we should re-name him Chucky, he’s definitely an evil doll.”

“He’s not that bad!” Rana laughed.

“Not that bad? While you were at work, I fed him eight times and changed him almost every hour. I’m knackered – how long have we had him for?”

“One day.” Rana tried not to laugh at her expression but she could see that her wife was exhausted. She took the glass of wine from Kate’s hand and placed it on the coffee table in front of them. “C’mon, lay down with me. Be my little spoon.” 

Kate obliged but no sooner had they settled into a comfortable position, their wristbands began to buzz. 

“I told you he’s doing it on purpose.” Kate grumbled and moved to get up.

“Just wait, he might stop.” Rana kept an arm around Kate’s waist and the buzzing stopped. “See?” She said and kissed the back of Kate’s shoulder.

Kate hummed contently and got comfortable once more but her eyes quickly shot open and she whimpered as the buzzing started up again and quickly intensified. 

“It’s alright, I’ll go,” Rana insisted. She checked on Reggie and quickly realised he needed to be fed. She gave him his bottle and burped him before she put him back down to sleep. She quietly closed the door and tiptoed back to the living to rejoin her wife on the sofa.

_______________________________________________________________

“Is it tight enough?” Rana checked and adjusted the straps.

“Oww, now it’s too tight!” Kate complained. “It’s gonna chafe when I move.”

“Well, I’m just making sure - we don’t want it to fall off, do we?”

“It was fine before,” Kate insisted and Rana loosened the straps. 

“Better?”

“Yes.”

“Is he alright? If he gets too heavy, we can swap if you like.”

“He’s fine,” Kate assured her wife. 

Kate and Rana were on day two of their ‘parenting’ and they were starting to feel like pros. Both women had learned the difference between Reggie’s cries and had quickly adapted to his needs. 

They had decided to venture out of the flat to do some grocery shopping and despite a few odd looks (which they ignored) from strangers when they realised that the ‘baby’ strapped to Kate’s chest was a doll, they felt confident that they were doing a good job. However, they still weren’t ready to leave Weatherfield and had opted to stay local.

“We need to get something for dinner and milk, because someone drank the last of it, so CO-OP or Dev’s?” Kate asked and held Reggie’s tiny feet in the palm of her hands before she began to gently sway his legs from side to side.

“Dev’s and then we can stop off at Roy’s for a cake.”

“Oh, we can, can we?” Kate teased and smiled as she leaned in for a kiss.

“Mmm, but if you don’t want one...” Rana teased back and closed the remaining gap between them. Reggie chose that moment to let out a happy giggle and the two women burst out laughing at the doll’s timing.

“Okay, that was disturbing!” Rana said and shared a matching wince with her wife. They were about to cross the road when an expensive looking sports car seemed to come out of nowhere and whizzed past them. Both women held the other’s hand to prevent them from stepping off the kerb and crossing the road.

“What a knob!” Kate fumed and checked on her wife. “Are you okay?” She asked and frowned when Rana continued to stare at the car parked outside Imran’s office. “Babe?”

“Oh, sorry, it’s just...that’s my mum’s car.”

End of chapter twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also just wanted to quickly mention that it was a complete coincidence that this chapter was about 'babyness'. I wrote the draft long before it became canon for Kana to discuss it, however, something that will *NOT* be written as canon is 'the thing' that Kate is going to do (or attempt to do). If you've read the spoilers, you'll know exactly what I mean and if you haven't, you'll probably need to prepare yourself and perhaps avoid the first Corrie ep on the 17th of this month. :/ :(
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	13. Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, this really is an update! I can only apologise for the length of time it's taken - I did have most of this typed and ready to go....and then Corrie decided to go with that gross and offensive arc (which we will never speak about) and I didn't think anybody would want to read about babyness when we're all hating it on screen, even though the context is different, of course. So, anyway, thanks for all the comments and kudos - I hope this chapter is worth the wait. :)

New beginnings

Chapter thirteen

“Rana, wait!” Kate called out when her wife ran across the road and followed Saira into Imran’s office. She quickly caught up to her wife and they took the stairs two at a time.

“What’re you doing here?” Saira spun around at the commotion and seethed when she saw Rana burst into the office, closely followed by Kate. “I specifically told you not to invite her!” she rounded on her son, who held his hands up in surrender.

“I didn’t.”

“We saw the car. What’s going on?” Rana asked and Saira shook her head. “Whatever it is, I have a right to know.”

“Are you listening to yourself? You don’t have any rights when it comes to this family – you lost that privilege when you....married....that girl.”

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Kate and Rana spoke at the same time and Saira rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I don’t know what you expect me to say Rana; you’re still acting out and betraying our values and now you’re playing silly games with dolls. Isn’t it about time you grew up?” Saira spat and stared at Reggie.

“If you really must know, we’re going to start trying for a baby,” Kate explained and Imran’s eyes widened in shock.

“Since when?”

“You’re having a baby?” Saira’s voice softened a touch and Rana was surprised at the change of tone. 

“Well, not today and not right now but one day,” Rana explained and smiled at her wife, who beamed right back. She chanced a look at her mother but was unable to read her expression.

Saira quickly cleared her throat and turned back to Imran. “Remember what I said – nothing has changed!” she jabbed her finger in his direction and avoided eye contact with both Kate and Rana as she left the office.

“I can’t tell you what it’s about,” Imran cut his sister off when she opened her mouth to speak. “But...if I was to leave the paper work right here on my desk and you happened to look at it while I made myself a coffee....” he raised his eyebrows and patted her shoulder as he left the office.

Rana bent down to read the letter and scoffed in disbelief.

“What is it?” Kate asked and leaned down to read the information. “They can’t do that, surely?” she asked in horror. Rana’s parents had drawn up the terms and conditions of Hassan’s will to state that unless Rana ended her marriage to Kate, she wouldn’t receive any of her inheritance after his death.

“Well they have!” Rana snapped and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she quickly apologised and reached for Kate’s hands. “I don’t care about the money and of course I’m not going to do it, not in a million years – I just want them to accept me, us, but this,” she angrily pointed at the papers, “just proves that they never will, I really wanted to believe they’d come around and change but I mean it now; I’m done with them for good.”

_______________________________________________________________

Kate rolled over and reached for her wife, only to find that she was alone and Rana’s side was cold. She let out a sigh and padded out of the room to search for her and soon found her sitting on the sofa in the dark, watching American police chases.

“Babe, it’s late – come back to bed,” Kate leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t sleep. Did I wake ya?”

“No, I just missed you is all,” Kate pushed off the frame and sat next to her wife. She opened up her arms and Rana immediately snuggled into her embrace. “Do you wanna talk about it?” Kate whispered and pressed her lips to the top of Rana’s head.

“I just feel so stupid for thinking they’d change. I’d rather they just disowned me and never spoke to me again than try and blackmail me.”

“Did you speak to Imran?” Kate soothingly rubbed a hand up and down her wife’s arm and Rana nestled in deeper.

“I did but not about that; like I said, I’m done with them.”

“What did you talk to him about, then?”

“Changing my name. Or rather, our names,” Rana said and lifted up to look at Kate’s face. “I want us to become Mrs and Mrs Habeeb-Connor or Connor-Habeeb, so that when we do eventually have kids, we’re our own little family – just us.”

Kate felt tears spring in her eyes and she kissed her wife squarely on the lips.

“I told you I’d give you everything you want.”

“You did,” Kate nodded with a smile. “What do we need to do?”

“Well, first we need to decide what we want to change our name to, and Imran will sort out the rest.”

“And...the baby stuff?”

“You might need just a bit more patience for that – you still owe me a honeymoon, remember?” Rana lightly jabbed her ribs.

“Well, I’m still waiting for you decide where you wanna go. And no, we still can’t afford Thailand.”

“And I still don’t care – I told you, I just want to have adventures with you.” 

“Okay, so...adventures on a budget, then?”

“That sounds like a trashy reality show!” Rana chuckled and fiddled with Kate’s wedding ring. “But, yeah, definitely on a budget, because we are skint.” 

“We’ll sort something out, we usually do,” Kate rested her hand on top of Rana’s and rubbed the back. “Only, can we not do it at one o’clock in the morning? Some of us have to be up in a few hours.”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realise,” Rana patted Kate’s thigh and stood up.

“It’s fine – you can make it up to me later, Mrs Habeeb-Connor, Connor-Habeeb,” Kate grinned and kissed her wife.

_______________________________________________________________

Kate and Rana were sat in the Rovers during their lunch break and were busy working out a budget for their honeymoon and to say it was tight was an understatement. Rana put down the pen and huffed in frustration.

“This is ridiculous; at this rate we won’t even be able to afford bloody Whitby!”

“We’ll figure it out, babe, don’t worry,” Kate rubbed her wife’s knee and looked up when she saw her dad bringing their lunch. 

“That looks important,” he said and handed Rana her cheese baguette and Kate her chicken salad bloomer. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Loan us a couple of grand?”

“Aw, love, you know I would if I could,” Johnny offered them a sympathetic smile and rubbed her shoulder.

“Oh aye, what’s goin’ on ‘ere then?” Carla asked and invited herself to sit with her sister and sister-in-law. 

“We’re trying to work out a budget for our honeymoon and so far it’s impossible,” Kate handed Carla the paperwork and bit into her sandwich.

Carla scanned over the numbers and information on the pages and hummed thoughtfully.

“What?” Kate asked and looked at her wife and then her sister.

“If you want a honeymoon on a budget, why don’t you just stay at my place in Devon for a few weeks? I know it’s not the most exotic place in the world but it’s right next to the beach and in the summer, it’s absolutely gorgeous,” Carla suggested and Kate and Rana shared an intrigued look. Carla pulled out her phone and opened up google maps. “Look, you could drive your campervan there; it’d only take you about five hours – maybe six or seven if you include stops.”

“Are you serious?” Kate asked.

“Yeah, why not? Think of it as an extra wedding gift,” Carla shrugged and let out a surprised chuckle when they both launched forward to hug her.

“What do you think babe, d’ya fancy it?” Kate asked and squeezed her wife’s thigh. Rana nodded and smiled at her wife.

“Looks like we’re going to Devon.”

End of chapter thirteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what should Kana change their surnames to; Habeeb-Connor or Connor-Habeeb? I orginally prefered Connor-Habeeb but now I'm leaning more towards Habeeb-Connor. Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think!


	14. Fourteen

New beginnings 

Chapter fourteen.

Kate sipped her coffee and sighed impatiently as she waited for her laptop to load. She entered the website into the search bar and plugged in the USB connected to the simulated doll.

“You’re up early,” Rana softly whispered into her wife’s ear. She draped her arms over her shoulders and kissed Kate’s neck. “What’re you doing?”

“I’m just checking our approval rating for Reggie,” Kate said and rested her head against Rana’s. “Huh; 88%. Not bad, considering we forgot to plug him in a few times.”

“Uh, you mean, you did!” Rana squeezed Kate’s shoulders and made herself a coffee. “Speaking of babies, how come all the other tabs are about kids and pregnancy; is there something you need to tell me?”

“No, I’m just looking. Where’s the harm in that?” Kate shrugged a shoulder and Rana sighed.

“I thought we agreed we’d do it together, when the time’s right.”

“I know we did but there’s a lot to do and.... I just want to be prepared, that’s all,” Kate shrugged again, this time a little sadly. Rana put down her mug and reached for her wife’s hand. 

“Look, I love that you’re excited and you want to do everything now but we’ve got plenty of time, okay, so no more solo missions,” she lightly admonished her and Kate had the decency to look guilty. “Anyway, you need to get ready because we’re going shopping.”

“Why?” Kate frowned. “We’re on a strict, no spending regime, remember? That’s what you said.”

“Oh, I remember but there’s a sale on in town and I need to get some new clothes,” Rana said. “Or more specifically, beach wear, but if you don’t want to help me pick out a new bikini, that’s fine....”

“I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

_______________________________________________________________

After trawling through several different shops, Rana had eventually bought two bikinis – a plain black one and a navy one with polka dots, while Kate was happy to stick with the relatively new black once piece she had bought for their Spanish hen do a few months prior. 

The two women walked arm in arm back to Carla’s sports car (she had let them borrow it for the day under the condition that Rana drove, since Carla deemed her the better driver) when Kate’s phone began to ring. Without unhooking their arms, she reached into her pocket to answer it.

“Hello? Yes, Carla – your car is still in one piece and no, I haven’t driven it,” Kate playfully rolled her eyes and shook her head. She listened to her sisters words and decided to be vague with her answers just in case Rana was listening. Kate hung up the phone and offered her wife a close lipped smile. “What?” 

“I know you’re up to something,” Rana wagged her finger and climbed in the drivers’ seat while Kate fixed her with a smile so innocent, she had to laugh.

_______________________________________________________________

Rana packed the last few items of clothing into her ‘R’ case and quickly zipped it up while Kate sat on the top.

“Is that it?” Kate asked and hoisted herself off of the case and pulled it off the bed.

“I think so.”

“Bloomin’ ‘eck, I hope the van has got decent suspension – this weighs a flippin’ ton!” Kate teased and Rana lightly pushed her in the back.

“Did you get snacks for the journey?”

“What kind of a question is that?” Kate gasped in mock outrage. “Of course I did; I got all your favourites, they’re already in the van.”

“Mmm, I love you,” Rana cooed and wrapped her arms around Kate’s waist.

“Because of the snacks, or...?”

“Mostly the snacks, yeah,” Rana teased and kissed her wife. They stayed in the embrace for a moment longer before they picked up their cases and left their flat. They exited the building and were surprised to be greeted by a round of applause from several members of their family and friends standing beside their van. 

“There you are! We were beginning to think you were never coming down,” Jenny teased. 

“What’s all this?” Kate asked.

“Ah, you know, we just wanted to say goodbye,” Johnny said and hugged his daughter and daughter-in-law, while Imran helped to load the van with their luggage.

“Wouldn’t you have preferred to stay at our luxurious Spanish villa than a...quaint...cottage in Devon?” Jenny asked. “No disrespect, of course, I’m sure the cottage is very nice,” she added and ignored the daggers Carla was shooting at her.

“It’s a bit late now, love,” Johnny told his wife.

“Ah, we can’t anyway; we’re changing our names on our passports,” Kate explained and Johnny frowned. 

“How come?”

“We decided to go double-barrelled after all – Mrs and Mrs Habeeb-Connor,” Rana explained and shared a beaming smile with her wife.

“I think it’s lovely,” Jenny gushed and wiped away an errant tear.

“Anyway, we best be off if we want to beat the traffic,” Rana said and fiddled with the keys.

“Enjoy your time away, girls – it’s a joy to spend it with someone you love so dear. Like mother always said; ‘to move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.”

“Blimey, Mary; we’re only going to Devon for a fortnight!” Kate chuckled.

“Actually, if I’m not mistaken, I do believe that was a Hans Christian Andersen quote,” Roy said with a frown.

“I...I...never said it was a mother original.” 

Carla rolled her eyes and pulled her sister and sister-in-law in for simultaneous hugs. “The you-know-what is all arranged, by the way,” Carla whispered into her sister’s ear. Kate nodded and thanked her. “Anyway, make sure you stick to the guest room – no doing it in my bed, eh, ‘cause I know what you two are like; always goin’ at it like rabbits! Right Chelle?”

“They certainly love to...‘talk’.”

“That was...a lot more information than I needed,” Imran grimaced.

“Join the club,” Johnny agreed. 

“Right, we’re off,” Kate said and hurriedly climbed into the passenger seat. She opened up google maps and set their destination. They bid farewell to their family and friends before Rana started the engine and began their journey.

_______________________________________________________________

After getting lost twice and taking a few wrong turns, Kate and Rana were finally heading in the right direction.

“I thought you said you knew the way?” Rana complained and almost wished she had driven the whole way – she was confident she wouldn’t have gotten them lost.

“No, I said the train driver knew the way – I didn’t drive here,” Kate reminded her. “Do I take this turning?” 

“Not yet.”

Kate carried straight on and side eyed the bag of Haribo her wife was currently hogging. “Are you gonna share those or what?”

“Fine, you can have the eggs,” Rana said and rummaged through the bag.

“Er, no, I want a cola bottle,” Kate requested and opened her mouth in anticipation and Rana obliged and fed her the sweet. “Thanks babe. Is it this turning?”

“Yeah, turn left here.”

Kate followed the instruction and carefully drove along the narrow and winding country road until she came to a stop in front of a short, gravelled driveway. The cottage itself was fairly modern with a high roof, large windows, a grey and cream brickwork pattern and a portcullis style timber door.

“Is this it?”

“Yep.”

“Wow, pictures don’t do it justice,” Rana gushed. 

Kate pulled the van further up the driveway and stopped outside the garage. Rana climbed into the back of the van to get their bags, while Kate got out of the van and stretched her aching legs.

“Kate? I thought it was you!”

Kate looked up and was surprised to see Carla’s elderly neighbours, Sandra and Richard, walking along the driveway. 

“Hi,” Kate greeted them both with a hug. “How are you? You both look well.”

“We’re fine, dear. How are you?” Sandra asked and held Kate’s hands. “The last time we saw you, you were nursing a broken heart.”

“Oh, yeah....I’m fine now,” Kate smiled. “More than fine.”

“Good. Whatever happened to that girl?” Richard asked and was slightly started when the side door of the van suddenly opened.

“I married her.”

_______________________________________________________________

Sandra and Richard had invited Kate and Rana over to their cottage for dinner but after respectfully declining the offer and explaining that they were on their honeymoon, the elderly couple bid farewell and left them in peace. Kate gave Rana a tour of the cottage before they dumped their cases in their room and decided to order pizza. 

“So, what do you think of the cottage?” Kate asked and held her wife by the hips while Rana reached up and interlocked her hands behind Kate’s neck.

“Much better than Thailand,” Rana smiled and pecked Kate on the lips.

“Really?”

“Probably not,” Rana conceded. “But I told you I don’t care, as long as I get to have adventures with you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Rana said and kissed her wife again. “Do you know what else I’m thinking?”

“What?”

“How solid is that counter?” she raised a cheeky eyebrow, which Kate returned.

“Only one way to find out,” Kate said and Rana shrieked as Kate grabbed the back of her thighs and boosted her up onto the surface.

_______________________________________________________________

The next morning, Rana woke up to the smell of fresh coffee and toast. She was too comfy to move and so she snuggled deeper into the soft, cloud like pillow and closed her eyes. A smile spread across her lips as she heard Kate singing in the kitchen and when she heard the footsteps coming closer, she decided to feign sleep for a bit longer.

Kate quietly opened the door and immediately knew that Rana was pretending to be asleep but decided to play along. She slowly crept into the room and placed the tray of coffee, orange juice and toasted English muffins on the nightstand. She sat on the edge of Rana’s side of the bed and bent to kiss her. She smiled to herself when she saw Rana subtly pucker her lips and she whipped the duvet off of her instead.

“Oi!” Rana yelped at the change in temperature and poked at Kate’s ribs.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Kate apologised through her laughter. “You’re such a faker.”

“That’s not what you said last night,” Rana teased and bit her bottom lip.

“Ah, no, stop distracting me!” Kate jumped off the bed and grabbed the breakfast tray. She waited for Rana to sit up and placed it in her lap. She stretched out next to her and helped herself to a muffin, while Rana sipped her coffee. 

“You’re definitely up to something – you’ve got that look in your eye again,” Rana accused and narrowed her eyes. 

“What look?”

“The ‘butter-wouldn’t-melt’ look.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Kate’s voice was dripping in innocence but Rana wasn’t fooled. “But we do have to be somewhere by 10 o’clock.” 

“I knew it!” Rana giggled. “What for?”

“It’s a secret.”

“Well, what should I wear for this secret; smart/casual, comfy?”

“Wear whatever you want, as long as it includes those black jeans or the ones with rips in them,” Kate purred and placed open mouth kisses along Rana’s neck. “And you might wanna bring a light jacket too, just as long as it’s not that bloody green parka!” she said and loudly laughed when Rana pushed at her shoulder. 

_______________________________________________________________

“Can I open them yet?”

“No, keep ‘em closed.”

“For how much longer?” Rana whined and Kate laughed through her nose.

“We’re almost there babe,” Kate promised and parked the van. “Okay, open them....now.”

Rana followed her wife’s instruction and was confused by their surroundings. “We’re in an empty field,” she frowned at Kate who smiled in return. The two women climbed out of the vehicle and immediately joined hands. 

“It’s not empty - look over there,” she said and pointed at something in the distance. Rana followed Kate’s finger and gasped at the spectacular sight of the colourful hot air balloon that awaited them.

 

End of chapter fourteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it - let me know what you think! :)


	15. Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for all the comments and kudos. :)

New beginnings 

Chapter fifteen

“Is that really for us?” Rana gasped and looked at her wife with wide eyes.

“Mmhm.”

“It’s too much; I thought we were on a budget?”

“We are but don’t worry, I got a really good deal,” Kate explained and Rana narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“The last time you got a ‘really good deal’, you were almost arrested on our wedding day, remember?”

“Pfft, I reckon stealing a limo is a lot easier than stealing a hot air balloon!” Kate reasoned and rolled her eyes at Rana’s unconvinced look. “Babe, it’s not stolen. C’mon,” she said and squeezed her wife’s hand as they headed toward the hot air balloon. 

“Hi there, welcome, I’m Tony and you must be...” the pilot quickly checked his passenger list, “...Kate and Rana?”

“That’s us,” Kate said and they shook his hand. The pilot completed the crucial safety checks and instructions and started the flight. 

“How high up do we go?” Rana cautiously looked over the edge of the basket.

“The balloons can go up to 50,000 feet but the experience is best at around 1,200 feet, which is just above the treetops.”

Rana nodded and leaned back into Kate’s embrace. Kate got her phone out and held it up in front of them as she took several selfies as they flew over the spectacular cliffs and hilltops (naturally, both women thought the sight of each other was a hundred times more stunning than the view.)

“Just below is Combe wood and we’re soon approaching Jurassic coast world heritage site,” Tony informed them and both women peered over the basket. “Did you know; the Jurassic coast is made of Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous cliffs, spanning 185 million years of geological history?”

“We do now!” Kate quietly spoke through the side of her mouth and Rana pursed her lips together to stop her laughter. Tony either chose to ignore the comment or simply didn’t hear since his expression remained impassive.

_______________________________________________________________

It was just after lunch time by the time they landed and Kate told Rana that she had another surprise planned for her. Kate started the van and drove to their destination.

“We’re here,” Kate announced after a short while and parked the van in a generic looking car park. Rana looked around in confusion and Kate elaborated. “I can’t park the van outside where we’re going. You’ll see what I mean when we get there.”

They continued the walk hand in hand and Rana paused when they came to a stop outside the building. 

“This is it – Bovey castle.”

“Oooh, are we having afternoon tea in a castle? Perhaps we’ll meet the Queen!” Rana spoke in a high pitched, over the top, posh accent and Kate burst out laughing at the silliness.

“You’re such a dafty.”

They entered the castle hand in hand and waited to be seated. 

“Babe, seriously, we can’t afford this. Let’s go somewhere else, ey?” Rana whispered and looked around the exquisite and swanky interior. 

“It’s fine, we’re not paying – Carla gave me some vouchers.”

“Ahhh, so this is what you two were whispering about!”

“Yeah, and she helped me book the balloon ride, too.”

After gorging on sandwiches, quiche, mini cakes and of course scones and plenty of tea, Kate and Rana felt fit to burst and decided to take a slow walk around the castle grounds.

“We could’ve got married here,” Kate said when she saw the wedding party line up for photos.

“Maybe we could renew our vows here?” Rana suggested and swung their joined hands back and forth.

“Yeah?” Kate asked and quickly pecked her wife’s lips. “We should definitely stay here, there’s a spa an’ all.”

“Mmm, I never did get to finish that massage, did I...?” Rana teased and bumped her wife’s shoulder. Kate raised an eyebrow and bumped her right back.

“D’ya wanna go through the photos from this morning? These grounds are beautiful, we should take some more before we go,” Kate suggested and the couple proceeded to take pictures of the scenery and several selfies before they started the long drive back to the cottage.

_______________________________________________________________

The next few days were spent doing various activities. On one day, Kate and Rana visited a gin distillery (Kate had enjoyed the samples a bit too much and had become rather clingy and handsy) another day saw them visiting caves and then the following day, the couple decided to have a long lie in and then spend the rest of the day in bed, enjoying each others’ company.

They took part in a pottery class, where they jokingly recreated the scene from ‘Ghost’, much to the annoyance of the uptight tutor. They painted their creations (which weren’t really good) and added Mrs R H-C and Mrs K H-C on the bottom of each.

They drove several miles to Exeter and visited Pinces Gardens, where they walked hand in hand underneath the spectacular and romantic wisteria arch and enjoyed a picnic within the gorgeous grounds. 

“Have you noticed that Smarties don’t taste the same anymore?” Rana said and popped a few into her mouth.

“I wouldn’t know,” Kate quipped dryly when she saw the bag was almost empty. 

“Oi!” Rana shoved at her shoulder and accidently knocked her off balance. Kate dragged Rana down with her onto the picnic blanket and the couple quickly became tangled up in a tickling match, which resulted in them looking for the nearest secluded area so they could get frisky without an audience. 

Since today marked the last day of their honeymoon, the couple had decided to have an action packed and physical day and wanted to try Jet Skiing. They were fitted with life jackets, given a thorough run through of the important safety guidelines and were shown the controls before the instructor was satisfied enough to let them venture out by themselves. 

Rana could tell that Kate was brimming with excitement and so she agreed to let her wife go first. She waited for Kate to climb onto the Jet Ski before she sat behind her and snugly wrapped her arms around her waist. 

“Babe, slow down!”

“What?”

“SLOW DOWN!”

“WHICH ONE IS THE BRAKE?”

“THE OTHER ONE!” 

Rana breathed a sigh of relief as Kate reduced the speed to allow the Jet Ski to gently bob in the water. Kate turned around as far as the position would allow and looked at her wife in concern. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I was just...feeling a bit sick,” Rana swallowed down the tightness in her throat and rested her forehead against her wife’s back. “I’ll be alright in a sec.”

“Are you sure?” Kate frowned. “We can head back if you want.”

“Actually, do you mind?” Rana felt guilty at disappointing her wife but she knew she would understand. “Why don’t you drop me off and then take my turn?”

“No, I think I’ve had enough as well.”

“You wanna try the water assault course, don’t ya?”

“Mayyybeee....”

Kate made sure she kept her speed steady, so as not to jostle her wife, as she steered the Jet Ski to the shoreline. Kate waited while Rana got changed back into her clothes before she got kitted out into the mandatory safety gear required to complete the assault course. Rana couldn’t resist snapping a quick photo and marvelled at the sight of her hot wife’s sinewy body – all those hours spent in the gym had definitely paid off.

Rana took a seat in the spectators’ area and began to film Kate’s warm up and progress around the course. She watched in amazement as Kate completed the course with ease and she shifted in her seat a few times as she became more and more turned on by her wife’s athleticism. 

The sudden noise of the klaxon knocked her out of her daze and she cheered loudly when she saw that Kate had completed the course. Kate impatiently waited for her time to be displayed on the results screen and she ran over to celebrate with her wife when she saw that she had recorded the fastest time of the day.

“Did you see?” Kate resembled an excited puppy as she bounced on the spot and Rana couldn’t resist pressing a sweet kiss to her lips before she abruptly pulled away. “What?”

“You’re all wet!”

“Mmm, since when has that bothered you?” Kate’s voice was low and sultry and she raised an eyebrow as Rana bit the corner of her bottom lip.

“I think we need to go home and...celebrate your success.” Rana ran her hands from the tops of Kate’s arms until she found her hands and linked them together.

“What’re we waiting for?”

_______________________________________________________________

“Phew, I’m done in!” Rana climbed out of the drivers’ seat and stretched her legs. 

“Uhh, excuse me, you weren’t the one who just completed an assault course – and won, I might add,” Kate grinned as she looked at the winners’ medal that proudly hung around her neck.

“Hold on, how come the lights are on?” Rana quickly grabbed her wife’s forearm but soon narrowed her eyes when she saw Kate’s ‘innocent’ expression. “Wait a sec, what are you up to?” 

“Come on – there’s one more surprise.” Kate reached for Rana’s hand and led her into the cottage. 

Rana gasped in awe when she saw the interior; the entire space had been decorated in traditional Thai decor and the whole room was filled with ornate trinkets, candles and pretty flowers.

She turned to her wife with teary eyes. “Did you do all of this?”

“Well, I had some help from the lovely neighbours but yeah, it was all my idea. I just thought, y’know, since we can’t go to Thailand, we’ll bring Thailand to Devon.” 

“I love you, Kate Habeeb-Connor,” Rana sighed contently and comfortably rested her head on Kate’s shoulder.

“I love you too, Rana Habeeb-Connor.”

 

End of chapter fifteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think. More soon! :)


	16. Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big hugs to you all. I hope this helps.

New beginnings 

Chapter sixteen

*Two years later.*

Kate was busy scraping left over twice cooked chips into the bin, when she felt her phone buzz in her apron. She quickly wiped her hands clean and answered it.

“Hello? Yes, speaking. Oh, great, what time? Brilliant, thank you. Yes, we’ll see you then - bye.”

“Who was that?”

“Jesus!” Kate spun around and held a hand against her chest. “Don’t do that, you flippin’ muppet!” she said and backhanded Ryan on the arm before she left the kitchen in search of Michelle.

“What’s up?” 

“Can I take the afternoon off?”

“It’s a bit short notice, Kate.”

Kate cocked her head to the side and Michelle followed her cousin to a quiet area.

“There’s been a cancellation at the fertility clinic and Rana and I are next on the list.”

“Oh my god, I didn’t know you were trying!”

“Shhh! We’re not; well, not yet - the appointment is just a consultation about our options and stuff,” Kate explained. “We’ve almost got enough money to start treatment – you wouldn’t believe how much it costs.”

“I can imagine,” Michelle slowly nodded. “Of course you can take the afternoon off. And if you need some extra money, we’ve been looking to appoint someone as assistant manager...” Michelle raised her eyebrows and gave her cousin a pointed look.

“Really?” Kate checked and hugged Michelle when she nodded.

“What’s going on here, then?”

“Err, mind your own flamin’ business, will ya? You’re talking to the manager now.”

“Eh?” Ryan frowned before he realised what Kate meant. “Wait, you?! But you never do any work, especially when your missus is around.”

“Ey, ‘Chelle, can I start giving out orders right now, ‘cos the toilets need cleaning....” Kate quirked an eyebrow and Ryan quickly got the hint and moved away.

_______________________________________________________________

“I can’t believe we’re gonna be parents,” Kate squealed and pulled her wife into a tight hug. She was so giddy with excitement; she was practically bouncing down the hallway of the fertility clinic. 

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, ey?” As usual, Rana was the voice of reason. “Let’s see how the appointment goes first.”

“Yeah, I know, I know,” Kate quickly nodded and held the door open. They registered at the reception desk and waited to be called.

“Mrs and Mrs Habeeb-Connor?”

Kate held the door open for her wife and the two women entered the consultants’ office. The couple made the friendly introductions and sat next to each other in the comfy armchairs.

Rana was happy to let her wife do the talking while she glanced around the office and read all the posters on the wall. 

“If it takes place without using fertility drugs, then treatment would occur during ovulation,” the consultant said and Rana could feel Kate’s questioning eyes on her.

“And what’s the success rate?” Rana asked and Kate’s attention snapped back to the consultant.

“The nurse will give you a pack with all the facts and figures, but do bear in mind that a pregnancy is more likely if the treatment isn’t as a result of fertility problems. So, lesbian couples and single women tend to enjoy a higher than average success rate.”

“Well, Rana’s a nurse so she knows all about the medical stuff,” Kate gushed proudly and reached for her wife’s hand. 

“Excellent. So, which of you actually intends to carry the baby?”

Kate and Rana shared a look.

“What d’ya reckon; me or you? I mean, I’m happy to if that’s...” 

“Kate; it’s obvious from the start it’s what you want.”

“Well, not if you want to, too.”

“No, it’s fine, honestly.”

“Promise you’re not just saying that?”

“Believe me, it’s fine.”

“I have treated couples who have planned two pregnancies and taken it in turn to carry but it’s whatever works best for you two. Do you have any other questions?”

“I don’t think so. Presumably we can call you if we do?”

“Of course. I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“Thank you, you’ve been very helpful,” Rana smiled politely and shook her hand.

“Thank you – we’ll definitely get back to you.” 

_______________________________________________________________

Kate and Rana were sat on the sofa, reading the pile of leaflets and information packs spread across their coffee table. There was tons of information about adoption, home insemination kits, multiple pregnancies (to name a few) Rana was feeling a little overwhelmed at the multitude of options, whilst Kate’s eyes were wide in wonder. 

She pulled Rana’s feet into her lap and began to massage her soles. “Are you okay?” she checked on her quiet and distracted wife.

“Hmm? Yeah, I just...I dunno, feel a little...out of my depth...” Rana answered as if she was asking a question.

“Are you...having second thoughts....?” Kate’s voice was impossibly soft and Rana reached for her hand. She laced their fingers together and played with her wife’s wedding ring.

“It’s not that, it’s just...it’s a lot to take in and a lot to decide.”

“I know but we don’t have to make any decisions right now,” Kate gently squeezed Rana’s ankle. “It’s like the consultant said, we know what’ll work best for us.”

“Yeah.” Rana nodded slowly before a leaflet caught her eye and she leaned forward to read it properly. “What do you think about this?”

Kate took the leaflet from her wife and thoroughly read it from cover to cover. “You’d do that?”

Rana smiled and nodded. “Yeah. We can make another appointment at the clinic and discuss it some more but yeah, I like the idea.”

“I do too,” Kate grinned and leaned forward for a soft and slow kiss. “I’m so happy - I can’t wait to get pregnant with our baby!” 

_______________________________________________________________

Kate and Rana had decided that Kate would carry the baby using Rana’s egg, fertilized by an anonymous donor (they briefly thought about asking someone they knew but quickly vetoed the idea, just in case the situation became complicated) 

Instead, they had chosen a donor with physical and personal attributes akin to Kate. It was important to them that their baby inherited as many similarities from both of them as possible, since their child would only truly share DNA with Rana.

Months of appointments, expensive and gruelling tests and procedures followed and it was finally time to take a pregnancy test. Kate had been filled with nervous energy during her morning shift and after messing up two orders in a row, Michelle had sent her home early.

Kate heard her wife’s key in the door and she stopped her pacing long enough to greet her.

“Did you get it?” Kate asked and Rana held up the bag containing the test. “God, I’ve downed so much water, I feel like my bladder’s gonna burst!” she joked and took the bag from her wife before they went into the bathroom. She peed on the stick and the women waited for the longest two minutes of their life.

The timer made them both jump and they held hands as they waited for the result.

“Here we go, are you ready?” Kate asked and Rana nodded. Kate turned it over and both women let out a sob at the outcome. 

It was negative. 

“Babe, it’s okay, it was only the first time – we can try again,” Rana soothed. She gathered her wife in her arms and kissed her temple.

“I know but...I got my hopes up,” Kate’s voice was shaky with emotion. 

“Me too.” Rana hugged her tighter. 

_______________________________________________________________

The next few months that followed were more of the same; Kate and Rana would go to the clinic for their treatment and would take the pregnancy test after enough time had passed. The next two tests had also been negative and the couple were beginning to feel disheartened and began to wonder if it would ever happen. 

That evening, after checking their joint savings account (or ‘baby bank’ as they had affectionately called it), Rana had sensitively brought up the subject of their dwindling funds. 

“I’m not saying we’ve got to give up, I’m just saying that we can’t afford many more rounds,” Rana tried to reason but of course, Kate had gotten upset. 

“We’ll find a way,” Kate insisted. 

“How?”

“I can ask my dad.”

“For £5,000? C’mon, Kate, that’s not fair, we can’t ask him for that kind of money!”

“Well, what do you suggest then?” Kate asked a little too curtly and folded her arms across her chest. When Rana failed to come up with a solution, Kate huffed and announced that she was going to bed.

Rana threw her head back in frustration. She knew there was no point in trying to talk to her wife when she was in a bad mood – she had a tendency to lash out when she was upset and Rana was simply too tired to argue. She decided to have a quick shower and hoped her wife had cooled down by the time she was finished.

The nurse cautiously entered their bedroom and even though Kate was facing away from her, she knew her wife wasn’t asleep. She continued her nightly ritual of applying moisturiser and piled her hair on top of her head into a messy bun, before she gently climbed into bed.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” Kate’s voice was full of regret and she rolled over to face her wife. 

Rana felt a pang in her chest at Kate’s tear stained cheeks and she opened her arms. Kate tucked her head under Rana’s chin and snuggled in tight. 

“We’ve got enough money for two more rounds, three if we can stretch our budget. And if that doesn’t work, there are other options,” Rana spoke against Kate’s hair. “We’ll figure something out, you know we always do,” she said and kissed her head. “Now, I think you owe me an apology.”

“Eh? I just said I’m sor...oh...” Kate trailed off when she saw the look on her wife’s face and she quickly rolled on top of her wife as she began to make it up to her. 

_______________________________________________________________

As soon as enough time had passed, Kate and Rana decided to continue the treatment once more. After three failed attempts, the women had learned not to get their hopes up and agreed that if the procedure didn’t work this time, then they would decide on a different option.

Becoming the assistant manager certainly had its perks and Kate had rostered herself in for the early morning to late afternoon shift so that she could get home before her wife, which was a rare occurrence. A simple dinner of pasta bake had been prepared and was in the oven and she sat down on the sofa as she waited for Rana to arrive.

“Oh, hiya, I wasn’t expecting you home,” Rana toed off her shoes and hung up her jacket. “And you’ve cooked dinner!” she marvelled. She bent down for a long kiss and hummed in delight at the contact. Their lips separated with an audible pop and they rested their foreheads together.

“I’ve run you a bubble bath too.”

“Are you trying to say I smell?” 

“Yep, you’re a right minger!” Kate teased and laughed at her wife’s expression. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Rana’s waist before she kissed her. “I love you,” she declared and kissed her wife a little deeper than before.

“I love you too.” Rana’s smile was wide and content.

“You’d better get in the bath before the water gets cold,” Kate suggested and began to undo the buttons on Rana’s nurses’ shirt.

“Are you...coming with me?” Rana flirted and slipped her hands into the back pockets of Kate’s jeans.

“I just need to check on the dinner so why don’t you get settled and I’ll be there in a sec?”

“Mmm, okay.” Rana pecked her lips again before she headed to the bathroom. She removed her shirt before something on the mirror caught her attention – ‘look’ with an arrow pointing downwards. “OH MY GOD!”

Kate leaned against the counter and the smile burst across her face when she heard her wife shout. She quirked an eyebrow as a shirtless Rana ran out of the bathroom with something in her hand.

“It worked?” Rana’s voice cracked and Kate tearfully nodded. 

“It worked. We’re having a baby.”

End of chapter sixteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...I don't know what to say; *it* has happened and I feel heartbroken and devastated. We've had eight weeks to prepare ourselves but in all the ways I imagined the scene(s) to go, nothing could've prepared me for *that* - it was beyond horrific and I think that final shot will stay with me for a very, very long time. When I started this fic, I truly believed this was the direction canon Kana was headed and never did I imagine that it would turn into an AU fic. They (and we) deserved so much better. I know it's not the same but at least Kana can and will live on in fanfiction.
> 
> Thanks for reading - big hugs and I love you all. More soon.


	17. Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you so much for all the comments and kudos - I know the past eight weeks (and of course this week in particular) have been tough so I really do appreciate it and love you all. I hope this chapter helps.

New beginnings

Chapter seventeen

The bath had been shared, dinner had been eaten and enjoyed and now Kate and Rana lay snuggled on the sofa in their pyjamas; Rana’s head was resting on Kate’s thigh with the positive test between their bodies. Neither woman could take their eyes off of it and Kate hummed happily as she traced the positive line with her forefinger.

“I’m so happy, I can’t believe it,” Kate’s voice was full of emotion and she reached down to gently run her fingers through her wife’s hair. “I wanna tell people!”

“Not yet babe, it’s too early – we need to wait a few more weeks,” Rana reasoned and slowly ran her finger along Kate’s abdomen, just above the waistline of her soft pyjama pants. “Let me sort out all the appointments and checkups with Dr Gaddas first and we’ll go from there. Deal?”

“Deal,” Kate agreed. “God, I’m so excited, I don’t know whether I’m gonna throw up or pee myself!” she announced and Rana quickly sat up in alarm. “Figure of speech,” Kate reassured her wife and Rana settled back down.

_______________________________________________________________

Rana was true to her word and between them, she and Dr Gaddas had arranged the first meeting with a midwife at Weatherfield General, scheduled for the following week. 

The midwife informed the couple that they would have around ten pregnancy appointments, possibly more depending on the results, every four to five weeks until week twenty eight. Then after that, they were to have appointments every two to three weeks from week twenty eight to thirty six and then weekly up until the delivery. 

Kate and Rana began to feel a little dizzy and went cross-eyed at the amount of time they would need to take off work and were certainly not looking forward to telling Michelle and Moira, respectively. 

The midwife informed them that the appointments would include screening tests to find out the wellbeing and development of the baby and to find (or rule out) certain health conditions. She measured Kate’s height, weight and BMI (which she assured her was perfect) took her blood pressure and took a urine sample. 

“I just need to ask a few questions and then we’re done,” the midwife offered them a friendly smile as she got out a pen and a notepad. “Don’t worry the rest of the equipment and technology is more advanced,” she joked. “Some of the questions may seem a little daft but they’re standard ones I have to ask.”

Since Kate was pregnant with Rana’s egg, both women were asked the same questions. The midwife asked them about their work and home life, their jobs and family health.

“Do any of your immediate family have any health issues, both physically and mentally?”

“My dad has MS,” Kate answered and the midwife wrote the information down. “I’ve already been told I’m not affected,” she explained and took a deep breath before she continued. “My family also has a history of depression,” Kate answered sadly and Rana immediately reached out for her hand. “Well, my brother, specifically.”

“Does your brother take medication for depression and have you been tested?” 

“No, I haven’t and he...committed suicide, so...” she said and drew comfort through Rana’s touch. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that, love,” the midwife sympathetically rubbed her arm. Even though she had only just met them, she had already developed a soft spot for the couple and was looking forward to having regular visits with them. “I think we’re all done here. I’ll give you this information pack with things you can do to keep you and baby healthy and of course, I’m sure your lovely wife will take very good care of you.”

“She always does,” Kate beamed at Rana, who returned the sentiment. 

After the appointment, Rana stopped off at the pharmacy to pick up supplements of folic acid and vitamin D while Kate waited in the van.

“God, I’m gasping for a brew!” Kate sighed and removed her boots, bag and jacket.

“Sit down, I’ll make it,” Rana offered and Kate sunk into the soft cushions of the sofa. She began to read the information pack from the midwife and thanked her wife when she handed her the cup. “It’s decaf,” she explained off of Kate’s confused expression. “You should only really have one cup a day and because I’m such a wonderful and considerate wife, I’ll also give up caffeine, alcohol and all the stuff you can’t have.” 

“Mmm, what did I do in a past life to merit a wife like you?” Kate sighed dreamily and placed her cup on the coffee table before she gathered Rana in her arms and kissed her lips.

“Ditto, babe,” Rana whispered and kissed her again before she snuggled closer.

_______________________________________________________________

The next few weeks were tough for Kate; she was tired, achy and moody and she was beginning to think that morning sickness was a myth, since she was sick all day every day. Rana had sympathised and had switched her wife’s decaf tea to ginger tea, which Kate found to be helpful, even if she wasn’t too fond of the taste. 

Rana had also found a recipe online for ginger biscuits; she was certainly no baker by any stretch of the means but Kate devoured them all the same, since they were one of the only things she could stomach.

Kate found that even small things would cause her stomach to churn and have her to dash to the toilet, like the smell of ketchup (and randomly Michelle’s perfume, which was usually very pleasant) and even though Kate tried to fob her off by saying that the frequent toilet breaks were because she had been drinking a lot of water (which was actually true) she knew her cousin had figured it out.

“Please don’t tell anybody,” Kate pleaded when Michelle cornered her in the Bistro office.

“Of course I won’t,” Michelle rolled her eyes and lowered her voice. “How far along are you?” 

“We think about eight weeks. We’re having our scan tomorrow,” Kate swallowed down the lump in her throat and Michelle pulled her in for an ecstatic hug.

_______________________________________________________________

“Ugh, how much longer?” Kate shifted uncomfortably in her seat – she was desperate for the loo but had been advised to have a full bladder for the scan as it helped to make the image clearer.

“Mrs Habeeb-Connor?”

“Finally!” 

Kate and Rana walked hand in hand to the examination room and Rana was surprised to discover she knew the sonographer. 

“Huh, well, if it isn’t Rana Habeeb!”

“It’s Habeeb-Connor, actually,” Rana grinned and held up her left hand before she turned to her wife. “Lucy and I went to uni together.”

Kate nodded and Rana helped her get onto the examination couch.

“Okay, Kate, if you could lower your trousers to your hips and lift your top to your chest, while I dim the lights,” the sonographer instructed and Kate tried not to laugh.

“What?” Rana asked.

“That sounds like a dodgy chat up line,” Kate whispered to her wife, who snorted in amusement. Rana helped her tuck tissues into her top and trousers to protect them from the gel before she sat near her head and laced their hands together.

“Sorry, this might be a bit cold.” Kate jumped a little as the gel was applied to her bare skin but soon settled down as she got comfortable. 

The sonographer ran the probe over Kate’s skin and both women gasped in unison as their tiny baby appeared on the screen. They squeezed each other’s hand and rested their heads together as they intently watched the monitor.

“You’re nine weeks pregnant and everything looks great,” the sonographer kept her attention on the screen. “The crown-rump measurement is good – it’s around 22 millimetres, or 2 centimetres, from head to bottom. Head is up here and legs are here; the baby’s face is slowly forming, with eyes, a mouth and even a tongue with tiny tastebuds. Internal organs are continuing to develop and they’re looking fine. Hands and feet are developing well, can you see them here? Everything looks perfect.” 

“Yeah, it really does.” Rana leaned over to kiss her wife and she rested her forehead against Kate’s temple. Tears stained their cheeks as they both became transfixed at the sound of the soft, rapid thumping of their tiny baby’s heartbeat.

_______________________________________________________________

“Can you tell what we’re having? I forgot to ask earlier,” Kate asked as she and Rana lounged on their sofa. They stared at the image and traced their fingers over their beautiful baby’s features.

“Not yet; it’s normally clearer around the twenty week mark, so we’ve got a while to go yet.”

“You’re gonna be able to tell, aren’t ya?” Kate narrowed her eyes at her wife, who smiled and shrugged.

“Maybe, but I won’t tell ya if you don’t want me to,” Rana promised. She looked at the picture and breathed out a laugh.

“What?”

“Promise you won’t get a cob on?”

“Why....?” 

“I was just thinking, since we don’t know if we’re having a boy or a girl, we should come up with a cute nickname, rather than keep calling the baby ‘it’,” Rana said. She placed her palm on Kate’s abdomen and rubbed soothing circles.

“Okay, so why would I get annoyed by that?” 

“Because I was thinking the shape kinda looks like....a chicken nugget.”

“Oh my god, we are not calling the baby ‘chicken nugget’!”

“I know, babe,” Rana chuckled. “But ‘nugget’ is cute.”

“Nugget?” Kate mulled it over in her head a few times before she nodded and then grimaced. “Okay, but now all I can think about is how much I want flamin’ chicken nuggets!”

_______________________________________________________________

Over the next couple of weeks, Kate’s morning sickness had eased up a little and even though she still had it, it was becoming a bit more bearable. Her work duties had been reduced and altered slightly; she was fine with bringing the diners their drinks (as long as it wasn’t coffee) and desserts but starters and main meals were a no-no, since anything savoury seemed to trigger a wave of nausea. 

“Why are you filling up the salt pots, shouldn’t you be helping with serving?” Ryan complained and Kate simply glared at him.

“I’ve told you before, why don’t you mind your own flippin’ business? Table four are still waiting for their mains.”

A small bump was now visible and Kate found that she could no longer wear the skinny, tight jeans and leather trousers that she (and Rana) loved.

“Are you sure I don’t look fat?” Kate asked and pulled her shirt tight across her stomach as she stood in front of the mirror.

Rana stood behind her and slid her arms around her waist. She placed both hands on top of Kate’s over her stomach and hooked her chin on her shoulder. “You look beautiful,” she insisted and pressed her lips to the back of Kate’s shoulder. “And so does Nugget.”

Kate and Rana had finally passed the twelve week mark and were brimming with excitement to announce their news to the family and friends and they had decided to start with Johnny.

“Hello, you two,” Johnny greeted them both with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “What a nice surprise, come in.”

“I hope you don’t mind us dropping in unannounced,” Rana checked and hung her jacket up on the back of the dining room chair and joined her wife on the sofa.

“Don’t be daft, ‘course I don’t mind – you’re welcome anytime.”

“Well, it is father’s day after all,” Kate reminded him. “I bet you thought I’d forgotten, didn’t you?”

“No, but I thought I told you I don’t want a fuss. Can I get you lovely ladies a drink?”

“Water, please.”

“Same thanks Johnny.”

Johnny gave them an odd look before he headed to the kitchen for the drinks. 

“Where’s Jenny?” Kate called out to her dad.

“She’s just popped out to Dev’s but she’ll be back in a bit.” He put the glasses on the table and sat next to his daughter.

Kate dug around in her handbag and handed her dad an envelope.

“What’s this?” he turned it over in his hands.

“Open it,” Kate grinned in glee and Rana placed a hand on her upper thigh. “Happy father’s day,” she said as he carefully opened the seal and looked at the picture on the card – it was the image from the ultrasound and written above it was ‘happy father’s/grandad’s day’.

“Is that....?”

“Yeah, you’re gonna be a grandad.”

Tears welled in his eyes before he stood up to hug them both at the same time. He pulled back and cupped his daughters face. “You’ve made me the happiest man alive!”

“What’s happened?” Jenny asked as she entered the room. Johnny passed the card to his wife and she raised a hand to her mouth as she began to sob. “Oh girls, that’s wonderful! Who’s carrying?”

“Me,” Kate said and began to explain the pregnancy method they had used.

“Blimey, science is amazing these day, int it?” Jenny said with wide eyes. “What do your parents think, Rana?”

“Uh, I haven’t told them and I’m probably not going to. Somehow I don’t think they’ll be supportive.”

“Well, it’s their loss,” Jenny said and rubbed her daughter-in-laws arm. “This baby is going to be the most gorgeous baby ever!” she said and simultaneously squeezed Kate and Rana’s faces under their chins. 

“Are you alright dad?” Kate noticed her dad quietly studying the photo and sat beside him.

“Is it me or does it look a bit like a chicken nugget?”

 

End of chapter seventeen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Sending hugs and lots of love to everybody. More soon.


	18. Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the lovely comments and kudos. I hope you like this one too. :)

New beginnings 

Chapter eighteen

Kate was restless. 

She had only been required to work a short shift at the bistro and had decided to use the time off to run some errands and do some chores but nothing was holding her attention and she couldn’t concentrate. She checked the time and decided to text her wife.

To Rana – meet me in your break. I’m at home. xoxo

She impatiently paced the living room floor as she waited for her wife and as soon as she heard the key in the door, she was on her in an instant.

“At least let me take off my coat and bag first!” Rana’s voice was muffled by Kate’s tongue and she grunted as she was pushed up against the door.

“No time,” Kate said and hurriedly dragged her wife to the bedroom. 

_______________________________________________________________

“Well, I’m certainly not complaining but that was the third time this week,” Rana laughed breathlessly as she buttoned up her nurses’ shirt. “Talk about a throw back to when we were going out.”

“Sorry, it’s the hormones.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t enjoy it and like I said, I’m not complaining.”

Kate watched Rana get dressed before she closed her eyes and willed her body to calm down. She always yearned for her gorgeous wife and the special physical connection they shared but just lately, she felt like she couldn’t get enough of her.

“Do you really have to go back to work?” Kate asked from her supine position on the bed.

“Believe me; I would love nothing more than to spend the day here with you but instead, I’ve got a busy afternoon filled with lancing boils and changing ulcer dressing,” Rana said as she restyled her hair back into a ponytail.

“Eurgh! Kill the mood, why don’t ya?”

“Did it work?”

“No,” Kate grumbled and covered her face with her hands.

“Sorry babe, I’ll be back before you know it,” Rana promised and leaned down for a soft kiss. “What do you want for dinner? I’ll pick it up on my way home.”

“Hmm, surprise me.” Kate pulled her back for a longer kiss and Rana stumbled forward when Kate tugged on her shirt. Rana quickly pulled away and Kate complained at the loss of contact. “Mmm, actually, I really fancy a burger and extra large chips.”

“Really?” 

“Mmhm.”

“Okay.” Rana made a face at the surprisingly unhealthy request. “Anything else; maybe some salad or...?”

“Yeah, lots of vinegar on the chips.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tonight, Mrs Habeeb-Connor.” Rana dodged Kate’s grabby hands and swiftly made her exit, while Kate continued to whine on the bed. 

_______________________________________________________________

Kate was now seventeen weeks pregnant and was blooming; her skin was clear, her hair was shiny and her bump was now visible and growing nicely. However, she just couldn’t shake the feeling that she was fat, despite Rana’s reassurances that she wasn’t.

Rana had immediately reiterated that she was always beautiful and that she couldn’t take her eyes off of her but Kate still wasn’t convinced.

“I’m not even halfway through and none of my clothes fit me anymore,” Kate had complained and tossed yet another outfit aside. “And don’t even get me started on my bras!”

“So we’ll go shopping.”

“I’m not wearing frumpy maternity clothes.”

“You don’t have to. If you don’t like any of the styles, just get something you do like in a bigger size,” Rana had suggested and grasped Kate’s hands. She swung them back and forth and tucked them under her chin. “And I’m not saying you’re fat, because you absolutely aren’t but if you want to stay active, why don’t you try some light exercises? Yoga might help.”

Kate took her wife’s advice the very next day and discovered that she enjoyed yoga. 

(Rana also found it to be enjoyable, particularly when she would get home from work to find her wife in some very interesting positions.) 

Kate had also been pleasantly surprised at how nice some of the maternity clothes were and had managed to pick out four new outfits for herself and couldn’t resist getting a couple of cute outfits for Nugget, too.

“Look at these,” Kate cooed and held up a tiny yellow and white onesie covered in ducks and a white onesie with hearts and a rainbow on the front.

“Sorry babe but I don’t think they’re your size,” Rana teased and stage whispered out the side of her mouth. “They are cute though – we should get them.”

Kate and Rana’s scheduled visit to the midwife had yielded positive feedback; they were told Nugget was about the size of a pomegranate and measured around 12 centimetres long. 

However, Kate’s blood pressure was a little low - the midwife assured her it was nothing to worry about but advised her to take it easy, particularly at work, and told her to talk to her GP if she started to feel dizzy.

Rana had vowed to look after her wife and had wasted no time in relaying the advice to Michelle, who had promptly set up a stool behind the bar so Kate could rest her swollen ankles and aching back while she worked. 

_______________________________________________________________

Today was Jenny’s birthday and as usual, Kate and Rana were late arrivals to the party. 

“Here they are!” Alya cheered as they entered the pub, hand in hand.

“Sorry we’re late - I had a wardrobe malfunction,” Kate winced but Jenny waved off her apology and accepted their hugs and gifts.

“Aw, thanks girls, you didn’t have to get me anything,” Jenny insisted and hugged them again.

“‘Wardrobe malfunction’? Is that code word for ‘aving nookie?” Gemma spoke around a mouthful of crisps and Rana grimaced as bits of chewed up potato flew out of her mouth and landed on the bar.

“I don’t think we need to know the answer to that question, do we?” Imran placed a hand on each of their shoulders from behind. “What’re you having? I’ll get these.” He put in their order of two orange juices and brought them over to the booth they were occupying.

“Have you picked out a name yet?” Toyah asked and smiled at her boyfriend when he sat beside her.

“No, not yet,” Rana said and rested her hand on Kate’s thigh, while Kate slung an arm over her wife’s’ shoulders. 

“We don’t even know Nugget’s gender,” Kate said and sipped her juice.

“I reckon you’re gonna have a big, strapping, six foot two lad, since boys run in our family,” Imran confidently predicted. 

“Nah, look at the shape of the bump - it’ll be a girl,” Jenny added.

“Oh, c’mon, you can’t tell by the shape; that’s an old wives tale,” Michelle quickly countered Jenny’s opinion

“Well, we don’t mind either way and we’ve already decided we’re not going to find out. Although this one,” Kate pointed her thumb at her wife. “Will probably be able to tell when we have our next scan in a couple of weeks.”

“I told you, that all depends if Nugget gives us a view or not. And I swear if I can tell, I won’t blab and ruin the surprise.”

“I know a lady what went into labour in Freshco’s once,” Gemma causally revealed before she frowned. “Or was she shoplifting a turkey? I can’t remember now,” she shrugged and moved on to the sandwiches.

“Anyway, how far along are you?” Toyah asked and Kate and Rana were grateful for the change of subject.

“Seventeen weeks – apparently, Nugget is now the size of a pomegranate,” Kate explained and Rosie tilted her head and got a faraway look in her eye. 

“Are you sure it’s not a football, ‘cos you look like you swallowed one.”

“Eh! Don’t be so flamin’ cheeky, you!” Michelle quickly clipped her son around his head. “What you on about, anyway? Her bump’s tiny.”

“Ow! I was only ‘aving a laugh – Kate knows that!”

“Mmm, and I’m gonna have such a laugh when I decide on next week’s job assignments,” she warned him and tried not to laugh when he visibly paled.

“I can never pronounce ‘pomegranate’,” Rosie suddenly mused and Kate and Rana shared a small laugh at the randomness. 

_______________________________________________________________

Rana returned to her seat after visiting the bathroom and immediately noticed her wife’s absence. She checked her whereabouts with Johnny, who told her she had gone upstairs for a lie down as she wasn’t feeling too well.

Rana quietly entered the spare bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. She tenderly stroked Kate’s hair and noted that she did feel a bit warm. She left the room and quickly returned with a glass of water and once again sat on the edge.

“Are you okay?” Rana asked in concern and Kate nodded. “Are you sure? You look a bit pale. We can go home if you want.” 

“It’s fine, it’s just a headache – I’ll be alright in a bit.” Kate reached up and held Rana’s palm to her cheek. She closed her eyes and smiled blissfully.

“Do you get them often?”

“Quite a bit. Why?”

“I reckon you’re having caffeine withdrawal symptoms – I’ve been getting them too,” Rana explained. She studied her wife’s face for a moment before an idea came to her.

“Are you able to sit up?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I just wanna try something.”

Rana moved off the bed as Kate sat up before she moved in behind her and guided Kate to lean back against her chest.

“What’re you doing?” Kate asked in amusement and reclined in her wife’s embrace.

“I’m going to give you a head massage,” Rana explained and gently pushed on Kate’s shoulders to get her to scoot down a fraction. 

Rana’s raised legs held Kate in place and the waitress wrapped her arms around Rana’s knees as she rested the back of her head against her chest.

Rana’s fingers moved in slow and gentle circles. She started at Kate’s temples before she lightly massaged her forehead and scalp. Kate closed her eyes and sighed as she felt herself fully relaxing at Rana’s expert touch.

“Oh my god!” Kate suddenly sat up and clutched Rana’s knee in alarm.

“What happened?” 

“I think I just felt the baby move!”

“What?!” Rana’s eyes were as large as saucers.

“It didn’t hurt or anything, it just felt really weird, like...I dunno...like....a...like a butterfly flapping it’s wings or...a...a fish swimming or summat. I don’t know, I can’t explain it.” Kate babbled and quickly grabbed her wife’s hands when she felt it again. 

She placed their joined hands on her lower belly and they waited to see if it would happen again - they didn’t have to wait long.

“There! Did you feel it?” Kate asked excitedly.

“Yeah, I did,” Rana whispered and both women cried tears of joy as they felt the light, unexpected fluttering movement of their baby.

End of chapter eighteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think. More soon. :)


	19. Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for all the comments and kudos. I hope you like this one too. :)

New beginnings

Chapter nineteen

Johnny checked his watch and sighed. Kate had been MIA for almost half an hour and she did look rather peaky when she said she was going for a lie down. The pub wasn’t particularly heaving with punters and besides, Jenny and Gemma had things under control – surely they wouldn’t miss him if he was to check on his daughter? 

He decided to do it; he would just bob his head through the door and then go. Where was the harm in that? He managed to get one hand on the banister and a foot on the first step before he was stopped in his tracks.

“And where do you think you’re going?” 

Johnny sighed and hung his head.

“I thought I told you not to bother them?” Jenny had her hands on her hips and was wearing her ‘don’t mess with me’ face; an expression Johnny had come to know well.

“I’ll be two seconds, love.”

“No you won’t. I’ll go,” Jenny said and cut her husband off when he tried to protest. “If they’re asleep, you’ll wake them up. Wait here.” 

Jenny crept up the stairs and quietly pressed her ear to the door.

“Oh no, it’s gone – I can’t feel it anymore.”

“Gimme your hand – I’ll guide you to the spot. Is that better?”

“Oh my god Kate, yesss, that’s it!” 

Jenny quickly moved away from the door and headed back downstairs.

“Well?” Johnny asked and frowned at the cheeky grin on her face.

“I wouldn’t go up there if I were you; they’re definitely not sleeping.”

Kate and Rana finally emerged twenty minutes later and were confused when Jenny winked at them.

“Why are ya lookin’ at us like that?” Kate asked.

“Have you got summat in your eye?” Rana automatically went into nurse mode.

Jenny rolled her eyes and pulled them aside.

“Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.”

Kate and Rana shared a quick look with each other – neither had a clue what she meant.

“You know, ‘just going for a lie down’.” Jenny nudged Kate with her elbow and rapidly winked.

“Eh?”

“Are you sure you haven’t got something in your eye? I could take a look,” Rana offered.

“Oh for heaven’s sake, I heard you! You know, gettin’ it on, just now,” Jenny explained in a fake American accent. “You’re lucky it wasn’t your dad, now that would’ve been embarrassing.”

The penny finally dropped and Kate and Rana shared a giggle at the misunderstanding.

“Noooo, Jenny, we were feeling the baby move.” Kate placed her hand over her small but noticeable bump and wrapped an arm around Rana’s shoulders. “Get me dad – Nugget’s dancing again.” 

“What’s the matter, sweetheart?” Johnny came bounding into the hall.

Kate wordlessly grasped his and Jenny’s hands and placed them just below her ribs. Tears filled their eyes and stained their cheeks as they felt their tiny grandchild’s subtle movement.

_______________________________________________________________

Rana tiptoed around the bedroom and paused as her wife suddenly stirred. Kate quickly settled and so Rana continued to get ready for work. 

Today was supposed to be her day off but the agency nurse had called in sick and since the other nurse was on holiday, Moira had asked her to fill in for a couple of hours.

Of course, Kate had complained about the ‘injustice of being deprived a few extra hours of cuddling time’ and then complained even further when she was reminded that they needed to go food shopping.

“The cupboards are empty, babe,” Rana had said over dinner, the night before.

“I don’t know why we can’t just order it online.” 

“Because you always complain that they don’t do it properly, remember? And you don’t like the delivery guy – what’s his name? The creepy one with the funny teeth and weird scar on his hairline.”

“Phil.” 

“That’s it, Phil.”

“Well, can you blame me, he’s a creep. Always putting the stuff on the floor so he can look down your top when you pick it up,” Kate grumped and stabbed at a carrot.

Rana tried to hide her amusement. Her wife really was extra cute when she was grumpy.

“I’m only working until lunchtime so we can go after I’ve finished.”

Rana had a fair amount of patients to see and thankfully, as a result, her shift seemed to fly by. She popped home to quickly get changed before she and Kate headed to Freshco’s.

“We’ll probably have to get a car before Nugget arrives,” Rana said and Kate briefly took her eyes off the road to look at her wife.

“Why?”

“Well, we’ll need a car seat and I don’t know if we can have it fitted in the van.”

“We’re not selling the van!”

“I know, babe and I didn’t say that. I’ll talk to Tyrone about it.” 

Kate parked the van and they collected a trolley before they entered the supermarket. Kate went to the in store pharmacy to pick up her vitamin prescription, while Rana was distracted by the display of outdoor plants. 

As she ran her fingers over the smooth leaves, she was taken back to a conversation she and Kate had had when they were newlyweds:

“Why are you looking at property? Have you won the lottery and not told me?” Kate had asked. She hugged her from behind and kissed the back of her head. She sat next to her wife at the breakfast counter and looked at the page. She saw the extortionate price of the house and whistled through her teeth. “If you haven’t already won the lottery, you’d bloody need to!”

“I know we can’t afford this one or any of these but I don’t care, I just...want a garden,” Rana admitted and Kate tilted her head at the slight sadness in her wife’s voice. “When I was a kid and I imagined having my own place, I could never picture what the house was like because it didn’t matter, I’d honestly live in a shed – that’s how little I cared, but the garden was a different story. I always wanted one big enough for a vegetable patch and maybe even chickens,” she admitted and shared a laugh with Kate before she sighed heavily. “I know it’s daft...”

“No, it’s not.” Kate smiled softly and reached for Rana’s hand.

“Maybe one day, eh?”

“Yeah, one day.”

Kate returned after picking up her prescription and stopped in her tracks when she saw Rana perusing the potted plants. An idea began to form in her head and she decided that after their next scan in a few days time, she would surprise her wife with her plan.

_______________________________________________________________

Kate and Rana held hands and rested their heads together as they watched the screen come to life with the image and sounds of their baby. 

The sonographer informed them that the baby was now around 25 centimetres from head to heel, which was the same size as a banana and the same weight as three apples (although Kate would argue that Nugget felt like the size and weight of a very large watermelon)

“Some women are able to feel their baby move at this stage, have you felt it?”

“Yeah, quite a bit actually, I reckon this kid’s gonna be a dancer!” Kate shared a wide grin with her wife. “Can you tell what we’re having?”

“I’m afraid it’s against hospital policy to reveal the gender....”

“No, I know, sorry, I was talking to Rana – she’s a nurse,” Kate explained and looked at her wife. “So, can you?”

“No. Nugget is not playing ball,” Rana said and widened her eyes at the sonographer to keep quiet. She felt awful lying to her wife but she felt even worse knowing Nugget’s gender before Kate. 

“Can you see what your baby is doing right now?” The sonographer quickly pointed to the screen.

“Oh my god,” Kate whispered in awe at the wonderful sight of Nugget sucking their thumb. 

_______________________________________________________________

Kate was sat in the passenger seat of the van with the latest sonogram in her lap. She was yet to take her eyes off it and lovingly traced Nugget’s features with her forefinger. Rana parked the van outside their flat and Kate was knocked out of her trance. 

“I’m just gonna run this over to my dad really quickly.”

“Okay. I’ll put the kettle on.”

Kate quickly pecked her wife’s lips before she headed over to the Rovers. She waited until Rana was inside the building before she double backed on herself and walked toward her real destination.

_______________________________________________________________

“You’ve been ages. Your tea’s probably cold by now,” Rana complained when she heard the key in the door. She continued to flick through the gossip magazine and didn’t look up until Kate cleared her throat to get her attention. “I thought you were going to see your dad?” Rana stood up from the sofa and looked at what her wife was holding. She crossed the room and stood in front of her.

“Surprise!” Kate grinned. “I spoke to Tracy last week and asked her to make this up for ya. I know it’s not a garden but...”

“I love it.” Rana’s voice was laced with emotion and she kissed Kate square on the lips. “And I love you,” she said and kissed her again. A smile spread across her face as she ran her fingers over the pink flowers in the specially made window box. “You’ve filled it with cyclamens.”

“Well, I know they’re your favourite, even if they do take over,” Kate reminded her and Rana lightly bumped her shoulder. “When we got married, I promised you that you could have whatever you wanted. I haven’t forgotten what I said and we will have a real garden one day.” Kate vowed and sealed her promise with a kiss.

End of chapter nineteen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think - your feedback really does inspire me to keep going. :) More soon!


	20. Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks so much for all the comments and kudos. :)

New beginnings

Chapter twenty

Rana popped her headphones on as she bustled around the kitchen. She had tended to her beloved cyclamens, which were thriving in their home underneath the kitchen window and now she was making her wife breakfast in bed. 

Judging by her grumbles of not being able to get comfortable, Rana knew that Kate had not had a particularly good night sleep and so when the nurse had woken up before the alarm, she decided to switch it off to give Kate her much needed rest.

However, her carefully thought out plan was soon thwarted when she felt a pair of warm, sinewy arms around her waist and a pair of soft lips against the side of her neck.

“Mmm, morning,” Kate tiredly spoke against her wife’s skin. “What’s all this?” She moved beside her and draped an arm over her shoulder.

“I was hopin’ to surprise ya,” Rana said and pointed to the breakfast tray. It was loaded with Kate’s favourite cereal, fresh fruit and a steaming mug of fruit tea.

“Sorry babe,” Kate apologised. She pressed kisses against Rana’s cheek before she gently nibbled the skin. 

They sat down to enjoy the specially prepared breakfast and took their time since it was Sunday and neither had to work. Rana got up to clear the table and Kate followed close behind.

“Nugget can hear us now, yeah?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Good, because we need to teach this kid how to tell the time as soon as. We’ve definitely got a night owl on our hands – up all night and has just this minute gone to sleep.”

Rana offered her wife a sympathetic smile. She rubbed the noticeably larger bump and her eyes widened in surprise at the sudden growth spurt compared to yesterday.

“When did that happen?”

“I know. It’s like I went to bed with a cute, neat little bump and now I’m the size of a house!” Kate pouted.

“You’re not that big.” Rana rolled her eyes and bent down to kiss her bump. “Don’t listen to her, Nugget.”

“Also, look at these.” 

“Believe me, I’m looking!” Rana’s eyes were fixed on Kate’s noticeably larger chest.

“Not those, these,” Kate lifted her tank top over her belly and revealed the purple and red stretch marks streaking across her abdomen.

“They’re nothing to worry about, honestly,” Rana reassured her wife. “We can pick up a nice moisturiser and I’ll give you a massage.”

“Oh, well, since you put it THAT way....” Kate lifted an eyebrow and kissed her wife. However, once wasn’t enough and she backed Rana against the counter as she went in for more. 

“I thought you were tired?” Rana checked and Kate shook her head and she unbuttoned Rana’s pyjama top.

“I’m never that tired,” Kate insisted and pulled her closer as she kissed her deeply.

_______________________________________________________________

Kate’s afternoon nap was abruptly cut short when Nugget delivered a sharp kick (or it could’ve been a punch; she hadn’t yet learned the difference) directly to her bladder and her eyes shot open at the sensation. 

She closed her eyes and buried her face in the body pillow as she tried to drift back off to sleep but it was no use – she was wide awake and now she had to pee. 

She finished up in the bathroom and frowned to herself when she heard a strange, almost drilling like sound coming from the living room. 

“What’re you doing?” 

“Oh! Sorry, did I wake ya? I didn’t know it was gonna be that loud,” Rana winced and leaned against the kitchen counter.

“No, it’s fine – Nugget was practicing karate on my insides again,” she said and looked at the object behind her wife. “Is that a smoothie maker? I didn’t know we had one.”

“We didn’t - I popped into town while you were asleep. I know you’re off your food a bit and you’re suffering from indigestion, so I thought smoothies might help. Here try this,” Rana said and handed her a tall glass with a pink/purple coloured liquid.

“Mmm, that’s delicious!” Kate licked her lips. “What’s in it?” she asked and polished off the contents.

“Frozen berries, banana, yogurt, milk, honey and a few ice cubes,” Rana counted the ingredients on her fingers. “I found loads of recipes online. Here,” she said and handed Kate a printout. “This one is for aching joints, this one is to help with tiredness,” she pointed to the different recipes. “I’ve put asterisks next to each one and an explanation of what they’re for on the bottom of the page.” 

“These sound amazing,” Kate set her glass down and pulled her wife closer. “And so are you,” she spoke between kisses and held her by the hips. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Rana smiled and leaned in for another soft kiss. “Also...while I was online, I had a look at baby names,” she revealed and ran her hands up and down Kate’s arms.

“Did you, now?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Did you find any you like?”

“Not really,” Rana said and moved to the sofa. She sat with her back propped up against the arm while Kate sat in between her legs with her back against her chest. “I looked up the top ten names for boys and girls and some are nice but.... they’re samey, you know?” Rana opened up the website and they looked at the list together.

“Yeah, I actually prefer more traditional names than common ones.” 

“So, ‘Audrey’ and ‘Ken’ are candidates, eh?” 

“Noooo!” Kate rolled her eyes at her silly wife. She ran her finger over the screen when a name stood out. “Oh, I like this one though, do you?” she asked and craned her neck to look at her wife.

“Yeah, I do actually.”

“We should write these down,” Kate said and opened up her notes on her phone. She created two titles; one for boys and one for girls and typed the potential name under the appropriate title. “Do you like any of the others on this page?”

“No, do you?”

“Not really,” Kate agreed and chuckled as she looked at the sparse list of names. “We’re doing well!”

“Let’s try a different website.”

They scrolled through the lists of names and eventually managed to write down several for each column. 

“I think that’ll do for now.” Rana noted her wife’s tired eyes and switched off her phone. She tenderly caressed Kate’s bump and chuckled when she felt Nugget promptly smack five against her palm. “Someone’s awake.”

“I’m awake!” Kate protested a little too quickly and Rana laughed through her nose.

Rana carefully leaned across to the coffee table and grabbed the bottle of moisturiser. She lifted Kate’s shirt high enough to expose her bump and gently massaged the smooth cream into her skin. Kate hummed contently and a smile spread across Rana’s face when she realised that Kate (and Nugget) had drifted off to sleep.

_______________________________________________________________

The next week was a hectic one for the Habeeb-Connor’s, what with check-ups with the midwife and two busy work schedules, and so they decided they were long overdue a night out. 

Neither wanted to venture too far outside of Weatherfield and so they had decided on dinner at a local Italian restaurant, which was a particular favourite of theirs, followed by a couple of drinks at the Rovers via Johnny’s invitation.

“You should come along after your meal,” he had suggested to the couple when they popped in for a chat. “We’re doing a quiz night with a twist – ‘Mr and Mrs,” he framed an imaginary banner with his raised hands. “Or rather, ‘Mrs and Mrs’ in your case, yeah?”

“I dunno...” Kate hedged.

“Oh, go on love – it’ll be fun! And the winner gets a £50 M&S gift card,” Johnny encouraged and gently nudged her elbow.

“Yeah, I know but it’s not exactly tough competition, is it?” Kate shrugged and looked at her wife.

“How d’ya mean? You don’t know who the other couples are, yet.”

“Doesn’t matter; we’ll still win,” Kate confidently predicted. 

No sooner had Kate and Rana set foot into the pub, a clipboard was thrust into their faces by Jenny. 

“Please sign up, she’s been unbearable.”

Kate and Rana looked over Jenny’s shoulder and saw Mary standing on the make shift stage, holding a klaxon horn. Her hair had been crimped and curled to within an inch of its life and the sequins on her glitzy, bright purple ‘game show host’ jacket was blinding the entire pub every time she moved.

“What is she wearing?” Kate wondered out loud while Rana added their names to the list. Kate ordered them a glass of apple juice each and they sat down in a booth as they awaited the start of the game.

“Testing, testing...Lalalalalaaaa....!” Mary spoke into the microphone and the crowd winced at the screeching sound of feedback. She pulled the microphone back a bit and tried again. “Is that better?”

Mary explained the simple rules – there were to be two rounds, one with a ‘Mr’ or ‘Mrs’ answer written on the placards and a second round with more specific question and answers. The couple with the least amount of correct answers would be eliminated and the couple with the most correct answers over the two rounds would be crowned the winners.

“Mary,” Rana called out and raised her hand. “Kate and I will need to write something different on our cards - we can’t both have Mrs and we definitely can’t have Mr, ‘cause, y’know...”

“Well, Kate is clearly the Mr in that relationship,” Tracy spoke to Steve out the side of her mouth.

“Oi, I heard that!”

“You were meant to!”

“Excuse me; heckling the other contestants is against the rules. Do you wish to forfeit your place?” Mary questioned and Tracy snorted before she shook her head. “Then kindly zip it,” Mary requested before she turned her attention to Rana. “Yes, a valid point – you shall write either ‘Mrs’ or ‘me’, depending on your answer. Now, is everybody clear on the rules?” she checked and the three couples confirmed they were. “Then Kate and Rana, Beth and Kirk, Steve and Tracy – come on down!” she pressed play on her boombox and danced as the theme tune to ‘Mr and Mrs’ began to play.

Mary arranged the contestants so that each couple stood with their backs to one another (she had sorted a chair for Kate so that she didn’t have to stand) and gave them each a marker and placard. 

She explained that she would ask them questions that required a ‘Mr’ or ‘Mrs’ answer (or rather ‘Mrs’ or ‘me’, in Kate and Rana’s case) and they were to write down the answer they thought was correct, which had to match their partners.

Kate and Rana were off to a good start after matching three out of four answers – ‘who takes up the most room in bed?’ (Rana) ‘Who takes the longest to get ready?’ (Rana) ‘Who is the messiest?’ (Rana again) And finally, ‘who is the most attractive’? Since they both said the other, they missed out on a point.

Beth and Kirk were doing okay, having managed to get two out of the four correct; Steve and Tracy, however, were yet to get on the score sheet.

“Last question for this round,” Mary announced. “Who is the better cook?” she gave them ten seconds to write down their answers before she asked them to show her their boards.

Kate and Rana had both answered Rana, which earned them a point. Beth and Kirk also added a point to their score by answering Kirk. Tracy had confidently written her own name and was fuming when she saw what Steve had put. 

“Roy?! Really Steve!”

“What?” he asked and winced when she backhanded his arm. “Ow! But it’s true!”

Tracy huffed and dramatically sunk down into her seat with her arms folded. “Don’t touch me!” She snarled and Steve had the good sense to listen.

Kate and Rana shared a look and tried not to laugh. Rana rubbed her hands along Kate’s upper arms. She kissed the back of her head and Kate hummed in delight at her wife’s close proximity.

“Are you okay?” Rana checked and Kate nodded.

“Last round,” Mary said. She reminded the couples that this round was slightly different to the first one and this time, they needed to give specific answers to the questions. 

It was a tie after the first two questions and Mary told them that the couple who answered the next question correctly would be announced the winners (mainly because Johnny had reminded her that it was close to last orders and she needed to get a move on).

“Kate, this question is for you; what is the best present Rana has ever given you? Rana, you need to write down what you think Kate will say,” Mary said and turned to Beth and Kirk. “The same applies to you as well – Beth, write down the best present Kirk has given you and Kirk, you write down what you think she will say. GO!” 

Kate and Rana quickly wrote down their answers while Beth and Kirk seemed to be struggling.

“Five seconds....four...three....two....one...STOOOOPPPPP!” Mary yelled and sounded the klaxon twice for good measure. 

Kate’s hand went straight to her bump when she felt Nugget somersaulting at the loud and sudden sound.

“Kirk, what did you put – what do you think Beth said is the best present you ever gave her?” Mary’s voice was extra peppy but her excitement soon faded when Kirk turned his card around. “...chocolate...? You think that’s the best present you’ve ever gotten her?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled dopily. “She’s not got expensive tastes, has our Beth!”

“Clearly. Beth, did you put chocolate?”

“‘Course I flippin’ well didn’t!” Beth fumed and turned her card around. “How could you forget about Peanut, Kirky?!”

“Oh. Ooops.”

“Oh dear. Girls, if you get this right then you win. Rana, what do you think Kate said is the best present you’ve ever given her?”

Rana turned her card around and the crowd ‘awwed’ at her answer (with the exception of Tracy of course, who was still sulking) 

“My heart.”

“Oh, how marvellous!” Mary was suddenly overcome with emotion. “Kate, please say you put heart.”

“Yeah, hurry up – I wanna go home!” Tracy complained but soon shut up when Jenny threatened to bar her. 

“I did,” Kate tearfully answered and shared a soft and loving kiss with her wife.

_______________________________________________________________

The next few days seemed to get a little easier for Kate. Much to her relief, Nugget had finally settled into a routine of sleeping through most of the night (albeit on and off) and staying awake during the better part of the day.

Work had also improved now that the smell and sight of the food no longer sent her rushing to the toilet. However, her feet and ankles were more or less permanently sore and so after an hour or so of serving, she volunteered herself to sit behind the bar and serve drinks.

Kate was now on her twenty sixth week of pregnancy and was fast approaching her third trimester - things definitely seemed to be getting easier...that was until she discovered the dreaded ‘baby brain’.

Of course, Rana found it hilarious and would rib her at every opportunity but Kate was mortified at her forgetfulness. 

They had spent an entire day looking for their keys, only to discover that Kate had put them in the freezer. She had taken a solo trip to Freshcos and spent almost twenty minutes in the car park looking for their van. She eventually gave up and had asked a worker for help in locating it, only to discover that the vehicle was in fact directly in front of her.

“Excuse me, I didn’t order this.”

Kate was knocked out of her trance by the customer in front of her.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said, I didn’t order this – I ordered macaroni cheese and I’ve been given chicken, rice and peas.” The man handed her the plate.

“Oooh, good choice - that’s a nice meal, that.”

“Yes, I’m sure it is but I didn’t order it.”

“Oh. What did you order then?”

“For heaven’s sake, is there a manager about?” The man became impatient and Michelle quickly intervened before the situation had a chance to escalate.

“Why don’t you take the rest of the day off? Your shift’s almost over anyway,” Michelle whispered softly and Kate eagerly followed her cousins’ advice.

She took a detour to Dev’s on the way and stocked up on biscuits, and more specifically, chocolate ones. 

Dev had almost asked if she was allowed them (she wasn’t) before he suddenly remembered the last time he had enquired about her eating habits and she had practically ripped his head off and had given him a lecture about telling her what she could and couldn’t do. 

The telling off was promptly followed by a ten minute apology, complete with sobbing, which got so bad that Dev eventually had to call Rana to come and take her home. 

Kate managed to make it home with her prize without any obstacles in her way and quickly hid her stash in a safe place. 

Rana returned home from work a couple of hours later and greeted her wife (and Nugget) with a kiss before she began to prepare dinner.

“Babe?” 

“Yeah?” 

“How come there are six packets of chocolate digestives in the freezer?”

End of chapter twenty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, please let me know what you thought. More soon!


	21. Twenty one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for the comments and kudos. :)

New beginnings 

Chapter twenty one

Kate’s eyes flew open as a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. She placed her palm on her swollen belly and rubbed in circles in a bid to ease the discomfort and calm Nugget down.

The pain seemed to be becoming a regular occurrence just lately and it usually happened just as she had gotten comfortable and was about to fall asleep. 

The rubbing motion seemed to work and she settled back down. However, no sooner had her head touched the pillow, the pain started up again and this time began to travel down to her legs. 

She sucked air through her teeth and screwed her eyes shut. She tried her best to keep quiet, mindful of her sleeping wife next to her, who was of course in a deep sleep. 

She stretched out her legs and rotated her ankles one at a time and when the cramping in her legs finally subsided, she began to relax. She flipped her pillow over to the cool side and pushed the covers from her overheated body. 

And that’s when the pain got worse.

“Are you okay?” 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake ya.”

“S’alright,” Rana sleepily mumbled and shifted closer. She wrapped an arm around Kate’s waist and rubbed her bump. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just cramp. I think I’ve been laying funny,” Kate said and placed her hand over Rana’s. “I’m hot, as well.”

Rana thought about making a smart comment about Kate’s obvious attractiveness but changed her mind when she felt her temperature. 

“Don’t move, I’ll be back in a minute,” Rana said and carefully climbed out of bed.

“Pfft, trust me, I’m not going anywhere!”

Rana returned a few minutes later with a tall glass of water with a straw and a cooling pad from the freezer. She placed the pad on the back of Kate’s neck and held the glass up to Kate’s mouth and held it steady while she drank.

“Is that better?” Rana asked and Kate nodded. “It sounds like you’re dehydrated, babe, and that’s why you’ve got cramp. Finish this and I’ll get you some more.” Rana did as she said and Kate quickly drained the second glass.

“You know this means I’ll need to pee in about five minutes, don’t you?” she said and winced at the pain in her lower back. “Whoever said being pregnant is glamorous, is a liar.”

“You’re doing amazing, babe.” Rana leaned forward to kiss her forehead and helped to readjust the body pillow. 

She snaked it around Kate’s back and gently positioned it in between her knees. She picked up a pillow that had been tossed unceremoniously onto the floor at some point during the night and placed it under her bump.

“Better?”

“Mmm.” Kate closed her eyes in pleasure as her hips and spine were finally aligned.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Rana teased and got up from the floor. 

“Thanks babe,” Kate whispered sleepily and closed her eyes. 

Rana climbed back in beside her and resumed her position as the big spoon. She kissed the back of Kate’s head, followed by her shoulder and snuggled closer as she too fell asleep.

_______________________________________________________________

That evening, Jenny had overheard Rana talking to Tyrone about cars and car seats while they were standing at the bar in The Rovers and had offered her help.

“Rana, love, if you’re thinking about buying a car, I’m looking to sell mine,” Jenny had said.

“Really, how much are ya askin’ for it?”

“I don’t know yet - I’ll need to have it valued, but have a chat with your missus and let me know, yeah?”

After discussing it at length with Kate, they had decided to take Jenny up on her offer and she had sold her car to them for a very reasonable price, meaning the van was forgotten about for the time being.

The next morning, Kate and Rana treated themselves to breakfast at Roy’s before heading into town for baby supplies. 

Even though they had planned to have Nugget sleep in their room with them for the first couple of months, they wanted to have the nursery decorated and fully furnished well in advance.

They had goggled ideas for a mural and both women had fallen in love with the idea of having two feature walls. 

They had come up with the idea of painting a large rainbow with clouds on one side, stickers of cute woodland animals would be fixed on to the other, while the other walls were to be painted in alternate stripes of pastel yellow, white and light grey. 

They collected the paint pots, stencils and stickers for the walls and picked up a handheld scanning machine for the nursery’s furniture. 

“I’ve been looking forward to this all day; is that a bit sad?” Kate asked and Rana giggled.

“No. I have too, but just remember to stick to our budget,” Rana reminded her and ignored Kate’s teasing comment about being a ‘spoilsport’.

“What d’ya think of this?” Kate asked and pointed to a box no bigger than the length of a laptop. “Bit small for a baby, innit? How’s it s’pose to move?”

Rana looked at the item and tried to suppress her laughter. “Babe, that’s a storage box for toys,” she said and pulled her adorable wife closer. She buried her face in her neck and pressed a kiss to the soft skin.

“Oh. Duh!” Kate sniggered at her dopiness. “How long am I allowed to blame things on my ‘baby brain’?”

“For as long as you want.” Rana looked at her adoringly. She gave her a quick peck on the lips and rubbed her belly before she laced their fingers together and continued their shopping. 

They walked down the next aisle and looked through the huge selection of cots and co-sleepers. They eventually managed to narrow their choices down to four designs and began to compare the specifications of co-sleepers. 

“This one has the best safety rating but it’s the most expensive,” Kate said as she read the tag. “What do you think? It’s got everything we’re looking for.”

“Yeah, get it.” Rana advised and Kate scanned the barcode. 

“What else do we need?” Kate asked.

“We need a changing table and a little wardrobe.”

The couple continued onto the next aisle and baulked at the size of the not-so-little wardrobes.

“How can something the size of a loaf of bread need a wardrobe as big as that?!” Rana shook her head in disbelief. 

“That’s almost the same size as your wardrobe!” Kate teased and Rana pulled a face at her.

“‘Ey, this one’s not so bad,” Rana said and directed her wife to a medium sized dresser with three drawers. She opened up all the compartments and had a look inside.

“Scan it?” Kate checked.

“Scan it,” Rana agreed. She frowned when she saw Kate rubbing her lower back and she quickly took over the action. “Better?”

“Mmm, thank you,” Kate hummed and kissed her wife on the cheek.

“You’re lucky.”

Kate and Rana shared a confused look before they turned toward the unfamiliar voice. 

“Sorry?” Kate asked the stranger.

“My husband doesn’t even offer to make me a cuppa, let alone rub my back,” the woman smiled at them. “Is it your first?” she nodded at Kate’s bump.

“Yeah.”

“This is my fourth,” the woman revealed and Kate and Rana’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Well, good luck – nice to meet you both,” the friendly woman said and waddled away.

“Four?” Kate looked at Rana with wide eyes and high eyebrows. “I hope Nugget’s okay with being an only child,” she said and Rana quickly nodded. 

_______________________________________________________________

Now that the shopping for nursery furniture and accessories was complete, Kate and Rana made the short journey home. During the drive, Kate received a text from Alya asking if they were free for lunch and after confirming that they were, they joined her in The Rovers.

The trio shared warm hugs before they ordered drinks and sandwiches and sat down in a booth.

“How much longer to go?” Alya asked.

“Twelve weeks.” 

“Lets ‘ave another look at the piccy,” Alya requested and moved her fingers in a ‘gimme’ gesture. “Aw, so cute!” she smiled at the image of Nugget sucking their thumb. “And you still don’t know what you’re having?”

“Nope,” Kate shook her head and Alya frowned at Rana’s guilty expression.

“I’m just gonna pop to the loo,” Rana said. She patted Kate’s thigh and kissed her cheek before she stood up.

“Me too,” Alya agreed and quickly followed her friend. She waited until the main door was shut and checked each stall was empty before she spoke. “You know, don’t you?”

“Know what?” Rana tried to act innocent but quickly gave up – she knew Alya could tell when she was lying. “Yes but it was an accident and Kate doesn’t know or know that I know, so please don’t say anything.” 

“Fine,” Alya agreed. “Can you whisper it to me though? I promise I won’t tell.”

“No way, you can wait like everyone else!” Rana scoffed and entered a stall. She washed her hands after she had finished and frowned when she saw Jenny, Johnny, Imran and Mary standing at their booth, crowding Kate. “What’s going on?”

“We’re just testing out a few theories, nothing to worry about,” Jenny explained. 

“Theories about what?” Rana enquired and sat down next to a bemused Kate. 

“I literally have no idea what they’re talking about.” Kate rolled her eyes.

“They’re trying to work out whether Nugget is a girl or a boy by the shape of the bump,” Johnny explained and shook his head. “It’s all a load of poppycock, if ya ask me.”

“Yeah, I thought we’d already agreed that’s a myth,” Rana checked and Mary waved her comment away.

“Oh, pish posh, you two! A low and round bump would mean a girl and a high and neat bump equals boy; and since yours is low and round...” Mary said and Jenny nodded – she had already shared her theory a while ago.

“Yeah but it wasn’t a few weeks ago - it was high and neat,” Kate pointed out and Rana nodded her agreement.

“See? I told you you’re havin’ a lad,” Imran chipped in.

“Okay, okay, new idea,” Jenny held up a finger. “Gimme your wedding ring.”

“Why?” Kate asked in confusion.

“‘Cause I wanna try something, c’mon!”

Kate shook her head and reluctantly handed over her ring. Jenny looped it through Mary’s necklace and they waited for the jewellery to move.

“You know that this is also a myth, right?” Rana checked.

“Oh, shush, you!” Jenny teasingly joked. “Okay, circles for a girl, pendulum for a boy. Go!” She held it over Kate’s bump and frowned when it remained stationary. They waited a few moments before it began to swing like a pendulum.

“Ha, yes!” Imran gloated triumphantly. “Hi, nephew,” he gently patted Kate’s bump.

“Don’t get too excited,” Jenny tapped his shoulder and pointed to the ring, which was now moving in fast circles.

“Oi, you’re making it do that,” Imran accused and Jenny shook her head in disagreement.

“I’m not!”

“Don’t argue with the powers that be,” Mary warned him. “As mother always used to say; ‘we can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom’.”

“Wait, that was Tolstoy,” Rana frowned as she recalled the familiar quote.

“Anyway, I’ll take this back now since it is quite obviously broken.” Mary snatched her necklace back from Jenny and handed Kate her ring. “Good day to you all,” she harrumphed and abruptly marched out of the pub.

_______________________________________________________________

The following week, Kate and Rana had started decorating the nursery and had enlisted the help and opinions of Johnny, Jenny, Imran and Alya.

Imran had been put in charge of the heavy lifting and DIY (along with Rana, who was surprisingly skilled at putting up shelves and assembling flat pack furniture)

Alya, Johnny and Jenny were on painting duty, while Kate’s job was to do the stencilling and the wall stickers, since Rana wouldn’t let her anywhere near the paint. 

“It’s not good for you to be breathing in the fumes, Kate,” Rana had reasoned. The room was well ventilated and Kate was wearing a mask (at Rana’s insistence) but she wasn’t prepared to take any chances.

“But we got the lowest odour and the shop assistant said it’s not harmful,” Kate had argued.

“Oh, I’m sorry and here I was thinking I’m the one with the medical degree,” Rana’s reply had been dripping in sarcasm and Kate had laughed but of course Rana had gotten her own way. 

The wardrobe had been put together and the main walls had been painted in a pastel yellow, white and light grey colour scheme; the only part left to do was the two feature walls and the finishing touches. 

“Do you need me to put the cot together?” Imran asked and looked around the room. “Where is it?”

“We haven’t got one yet – the one we liked was out of stock but it'll be here next week.” Rana entered the nursery with a tray of hot drinks and eyed Kate when she tried to pick up a paint brush. Kate sighed and put it down. 

“So, where’s the baby gonna sleep then, on the floor?” Imran asked and helped himself to a coffee.

“No. We’ve got a co-sleeper that fits onto the side of our bed and when Nugget’s bigger, they’ll sleep in here,” Kate explained and handed him a few sheets of glow in the dark stars. “Since you’re the tallest one here, can you put these stickers on the ceiling, please?” 

“I think this side is dry now,” Alya said and stepped down off of the ladder. She took the offered tea and blew the steam from the top before taking a sip. 

“That looks great, thanks.” Rana inspected her friends’ handiwork and gave the animal wall stickers to Kate. She arranged it so that the owl, squirrel and robin were sitting in the tree Johnny had painted, and the badger, fox, hedgehog, rabbit and deer were on the grass.

“What d’ya think?” Kate stood back to admire her craft and leaned back into Rana’s embrace when she hugged her from behind.

“Brilliant,” Rana said and hooked her chin over Kate’s shoulder as she rubbed her bump. “The fox is a particular favourite of mine but of course you already knew that,” she flirted and kissed the back of her neck.

“The ceiling’s done,” Imran said and hopped off of the step ladder.

“So is this wall,” Johnny pointed to the perfectly painted rainbow and clouds, courtesy of Jenny. 

All that was left to do was the last finishing touches and Rana held the stencil steady while Kate carefully filled in the words under the arch of the rainbow; ‘when it rains look for rainbows, when it’s dark look for stars.’ 

“Oh girls, it looks wonderful!” Jenny gushed and drew them both into a hug. “Those words are very sweet.”

“I didn’t make it up or owt – I found it on the internet,” Kate revealed and slung an arm over Rana’s shoulder. 

“Thanks for your help guys; we couldn’t have done it without ya,” Rana said with a grateful smile. 

“You’re welcome, love,” Johnny said and lovingly rubbed Kate’s bump. “Come and put your feet up, you must be knackered.”

“We’ll be there in a minute,” Kate said and their family and friends filtered out of the room. 

Kate turned to face her wife and wrapped both arms around her as best she could, due to the protruding obstruction between them. Rana instantly reciprocated the embrace and hugged her around the waist as they admired the (almost) fully furnished nursery. 

Both women felt overwhelmed with emotion and they shared a loving and tender kiss while Nugget began to animatedly dance and wiggle between their bodies.

End of chapter twenty one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you think. More soon! :)


	22. Twenty two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for the kudos and comments - they're much appreciated. :) I hope you like it.

New beginnings

Chapter twenty two

Kate had now hit week thirty of her pregnancy and she and Rana were scheduled in for their next appointment with the midwife. Surprisingly, Rana was ready before her wife but they were still running late. 

“Are you nearly done, what’re you doing in there?” Rana called out to her wife, who continued to faff about.

“Sorry, I couldn’t find my shoes,” Kate said and joined her wife in the living room. She dropped her trainers onto the floor and sat on the sofa. Rana helped her put them on and tied her laces for her.

“Are you ready now?” Rana checked and helped Kate up when she nodded. She grabbed the car keys and they left the flat.

“I don’t see why we have to go anyway; you could just give me all the details and save us a trip,” Kate said and looked out the window as Rana drove to the hospital.

“Yeah but the midwife is an expert in babyness and besides, sometimes it’s nice to be ‘wife Rana’ rather than ‘nurse Rana’ at these appointments,” she admitted and pulled into the hospital car park. 

They entered the building and were surprised when they didn’t have to wait long before they were called in.

The midwife helped Kate up onto the bed and she carried out her examination. She measured Kate’s bump, took her blood pressure and monitored her heart rate. She wrote the information down in her notebook and smiled at the couple.

“Welcome to the third trimester – everything is looking great. How’re you feeling – any problems with sleeping, headaches, backaches, leg cramps, feeling hot?”

“Yes, to everything,” Kate admitted and the midwife offered her a sympathetic smile.

“I know they’re unpleasant but they’re all normal symptoms,” the midwife explained. “So, you’re three quarters of the way there now and you might feel like you’re about to drop any minute but actually you and baby have still got quite a bit of growing to do.” 

“More? But I’m already the size of a house!” Kate complained.

“Well, your baby only weighs about 1.3kg, which is around 2lbs. Most full term babies tend to weigh at least triple that.” 

“‘Only weighs 1.3kg’,” Kate jokingly mocked and the midwife laughed. 

“So, now is probably the time to buy a few baby clothes, if you haven’t already.”

“We have,” Rana admitted.

“I’m not surprised, it’s hard to resist, isn’t it?” The midwife grinned. “Here’s a checklist of the essentials; I’ll let you read over them while I type up your notes,” she said and handed them a list. She finished typing and printed them a copy. “I know it’s hard but try not to go overboard with clothes, otherwise it could get pretty expensive. Also, have you spoken to your employer about a date for maternity leave?”

“I have. I finish at the end of the month, so three weeks to go. Not that I’m counting, or anything!” Kate shared a chuckle with Rana.

“You might find that you’ll need extra breaks, especially if you’re on your feet all day; do you need a note for your employer?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m the assistant manager at my cousin’s restaurant.”

“Okay. Right well, it looks like we’re all done here - any questions?” The midwife asked and both women shook their heads. “Okay, well, I’ll see you in a fortnight then. Bye, ladies.”

Kate and Rana left the hospital and started the journey home. Kate read the list of essential baby items while Rana drove.

“Let’s stop off and get them now,” Kate suggested and Rana turned off into the nearby retail park. 

“What’s on the list?” Rana asked as they walked hand in hand around the shopping centre.

“Six stretchy romper suits, two cardigans, four vests, a shawl or a blanket, socks, a hat and gloves if it’s cold and a sun hat if it’s hot.” 

“We should get everything, just in case – you never know with this weather,” Rana said.

“Good idea but first...” Kate trailed off and pulled Rana into a sports shop. She picked up a pair of miniature Adidas superstar bootie trainers and pressed them against her cheek. “I know we shouldn’t because Nugget will grow out of them really quickly but how cute are these?!”

Rana cooed and placed them on her upturned palm. “We really shouldn’t but let’s get them anyway,” Rana said. 

“Really? But what about the budget?”

“I think we can stretch it, just a little bit.”

They paid at the till before they continued shopping for the remaining items on the list. They decided to use the M&S vouchers they’d won from their ‘Mrs and Mrs’ victory and ticked off the items from the list as they went.

Rana had put the last item in the basket, when something caught her eye. She guided Kate toward the toy section and picked up two baby comforters; one was Paddington bear and the other was Peter Rabbit.

“Which one?” Rana held one in each hand.

“I dunno, I like ‘em both.”

Rana placed both hands behind her back and continuously switched the comforters between the two.

“Say when.”

“Now,” Kate said and Rana stopped.

“Left or right?” Rana asked and Kate picked left. “Peter Rabbit wins,” she said and placed him in the basket before they took their items to the till. 

“How far along are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” the till assistant asked with a friendly smile.

“Thirty weeks.” Kate offered a smile in return.

“My daughter and her girlfriend are expecting a little a boy any day now. Do you know what you’re having?”

“Not yet. We wanted it to be a surprise, didn’t we babe?”” Kate said. Rana nodded and handed over the vouchers. 

The assistant finished the transaction before she asked them to come with her. Kate and Rana shared a curious look before they followed her to the beauty section.

“I know it can be hard to fit in some ‘me time’ but this should help,” the assistant said and handed them a wash bag filled with pampering goodies; a small bottle of luxurious bubble bath, a face mask, eye mask and body lotion and cream.

“Oh, thank you but we can’t afford this – we only had enough for the baby stuff,” Kate said. She had already clocked the price tags of some of the items and knew they were out of their price range.

“Oh, these are free samples,” the kind assistant said. “Like I said, we all need some ‘me time’ so please pamper yourselves,” she insisted and excused herself to help another customer.

“Wow.” Rana’s eyebrows rose high into her hairline. “After Nugget’s born, we’re definitely shoving a pillow up your jumper to see what other goodies we can get.” 

_______________________________________________________________

The next few days saw Kate endure a range of mixed emotions, similar to the ones she had experienced during her first trimester. 

One day she was happy, silly and full of banter, the next day she was grumpy and argumentative (Rana felt like she constantly had to walk on eggshells, just in case she got told off for something that she did or didn’t do) 

Another day, she was horny and had been on Rana as soon as she walked through the door (those were Rana’s favourite kind of days, naturally.) 

But today, she was sad. 

“Sorry, I’m late – the queue was ridiculous!” Rana said as she came bursting through the front door, laden with shopping bags. “They didn’t even have half the stuff either, so I had to get something else for dinner...” she trailed off when she was met with silence and a seemingly empty room. “Kate?”

“I’m over here.”

Rana set the bags on the counter and sought out her wife. “Babe, what’s happened, why are you sitting on the floor?” she asked and helped her up on to the sofa. “Are you okay? Is it Nugget?” she questioned and placed a protective hand on Kate’s bump – she was instantly relieved when Nugget began to roll and hit her palm.

“We’re fine,” Kate answered through a shaky breath and blew her nose. 

“So, why are you crying then?” she asked and reached for Kate’s hand. She twirled her wife’s wedding ring between her thumb and forefinger and Kate offered her a watery smile.

“I had a facetime with Eva and Susie.”

“Are they okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, so....” Rana prompted, still unsure on the reason for Kate’s tears.

“It’s just....the older Susie gets, the more she looks like Aidan.” Her bottom lip and chin began to quiver and Rana immediately wrapped her up in a hug. She pressed her lips to Kate’s temple and whispered soothing words. “I just miss him so, so much.”

“I know, I know.”

“I can’t stop thinking about how Susie will grow up never knowing her dad and then I thought about Nugget and how they’ll never know their amazing Uncle Aidan. It’s not fair.” Kate buried her face into Rana’s neck and clung to her shirt as fresh, fat tears spilled down her cheeks.

“No, it’s not fair,” Rana agreed and gently rocked Kate in her arms. “And that’s why we’ll do our best to teach Nugget about their uncle Aidan and make sure they know what a wonderful man he was.”

“Yeah,” Kate said and smiled through her tears. Rana swiped her thumbs over Kate’s wet cheekbones and was shocked at the unexpected laughter that suddenly bubbled from her wife. “Sorry, it’s not really funny – I’m not sure I should say it.”

“You probably should, otherwise people might think you’re crazy.”

“I was just thinking back to Susie and how much she looks like Aidan – her eyes, her nose, the shape of her head - and I was thinking ‘poor little bugger; she couldn’t have inherited her mum’s genes’!” she joked and Rana couldn’t help the small giggle that burst from her lips.

End of chapter twenty two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I'm not sure why but I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. Please let me know your thoughts on it. More soon! :)


	23. Twenty three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos. I hope you like this one.... :)

New beginnings

Chapter twenty three

Kate had hit week thirty three of her pregnancy and was officially on maternity leave, as of an hour ago. Since she didn’t have many patients booked in for that day, Rana had managed to finish her shift to coincide with Kate’s home time and had met her at The Bistro. 

Michelle and the rest of the staff had thrown Kate a small party and presented her with a few gifts and in her emotional state, she had cried.

“Some are for both of you and some are for Nugget,” Michelle explained and handed the large gift bag to Rana. 

“I’ll open ‘em when I get home, if that’s okay - I can’t wait to get out of this place. No offence.”

“Charming,” Michelle deadpanned and hugged them both. “I’ll see you at the baby shower, tomorrow, yeah?”

“Bye.”

They had made it home and Kate was now lounging on the sofa with her feet up, looking for something to watch. She craned her neck back when she heard her wife leave their bedroom and she offered her a sweet smile as she approached her.

“Have a look at this.” Rana sat beside her wife and handed her a sheet of paper.

“What is it?”

“It’s a checklist of all the stuff we should take to the hospital; one bag for you and one bag for Nugget,” Rana explained as Kate read the contents. “I know it’s still early but I thought it might be a good idea to do it now, just in case Nugget springs a surprise on us,” Rana said and caressed Kate’s bump.

“Hah, I doubt it – this baby is never coming out.”

“I’m sorry, I know you’re uncomfortable,” Rana shifted from the sofa to the floor and began to massage her wife’s puffy feet, ankles and lower legs. “These seven weeks will fly by.”

“I’m being selfish, aren’t I, wanting the time to hurry up?” Kate sighed and curled an arm over the top of her head. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the foot rub.

“No. I’m sure you aren’t the only pregnant woman wishing that but at the same time Nugget’s not done cooking yet. He or she needs this time to get chubbier and I know how much you love fat babies,” Rana tried to lighten the mood and grinned when Kate laughed through her nose. 

“I hope Nugget’s chubby,” Kate smiled before she frowned. “After the birth though, not before,” she winced at the thought.

“Plus, we’ve still got the baby shower to come yet.” She leaned forward and gently placed her hands on both sides of Kate’s bump and pressed her lips against it. “Are you listening, Nugget? No gate-crashing your own party, it’s too early,” she said and kissed the swollen skin. She rested her chin there and gazed up at her wife.

“Mmm, I love it when you use your stern voice,” Kate said with a flirty smirk.

“It’s obviously not stern enough though, is it? Cos you don’t bloody listen,” she said and laughed when Nugget kicked her defiantly. “And neither does this one, apparently.” She rolled her eyes. “Right, c’mon you, let’s get started on that list shall we?”

The two women worked quickly and had packed Kate’s ‘K’ case in no time at all. Nugget’s bag was next and was proving to be more difficult since they couldn’t decide on any outfits to take. They eventually came to an agreement and Rana packed the items in the large gym bag.

The next task was to practice fixing in the car seat. Rana had read the instructions a few times and it seemed easy enough.

“It says here, you have to attach the base of the seat to the frame and it needs to click,” Kate read the instructions out loud and Rana nodded. She carefully followed the instructions and listened out for a click. 

“Did it click? I didn’t hear it click.”

“I think so. I’ll do it again, just in case.” Rana detached the seat from the frame and reconnected it. “Did you hear it that time? It definitely clicked.”

“I heard it,” Kate confirmed, now happy that the car seat had been mastered. 

“Hi girls,” Maria called out and crossed the road. “Aw, look at you; not long now,” she said and rubbed Kate’s tummy. “Argh, so I know you’ve already told me but what time’s the baby shower, tomorrow? I’ve got a brain like a sieve, me!” 

“3 o’clock at The Rovers,” Kate reminded her.

“Is it a gender reveal one, or do you still not know what you’re having?” Maria asked and Rana nervously fidgeted on the spot.

“We don’t know, do we babe?” Kate said and Rana smiled as she shook her head.

“Okay, I’ll see you later.” Maria crossed the road and headed back to the salon.

Rana smiled when she saw Kate staring at her but her eyes soon narrowed when a hint of a smirk lifted at the corner of her wife’s mouth. 

“What?”

“Nothing. Let’s go and open our pressies.” 

_______________________________________________________________

The next day, Kate was relaxing on the sofa when an odd feeling suddenly fluttered from her bump. She placed her palm near her belly button and waited for it to happen again. She was soon rewarded for her patience and began to laugh when it became more frequent. 

“Babe, c’mere,” Kate called out to Rana, who was busy in the kitchen. Rana joined her wife in the living room and looked at her curiously. “I think Nugget’s got the hiccups!”

Rana smiled and rubbed Kate’s bump before she returned to the kitchen.

“What’re you doing in there, anyway?” Kate tried to twist around to see but her movement was too restricted and she gave up. Rana soon rejoined her wife and Kate’s attention was drawn to the two bowls in her hands. “What’s that?”

“I know you’ve been feeling a bit drained and rubbish, so I made you this,” Rana said and pointed to the bowls. “The cucumber slices are for your eyes and I made this homemade face mask. I thought you might like a bit of pampering before the baby shower this afternoon.”

“Why are you so good to me?” Kate felt tears prick her eyes and she tugged her wife down beside her. She closed her eyes and kissed her slowly and sweetly.

“Because you’re my person and I love you,” Rana simply answered and kissed Kate again. She carefully guided Kate to lie back before she placed the cucumber slices over her eyes and dipped her hands into the second bowl. She meticulously spread the light green mixture over Kate’s face and when she was satisfied that it was completely covered, she stood up. 

“How long am I supposed to stay like this?”

“Twenty minutes. You just stay right there and relax while I go and get ready.”

“Ha! You, get ready in twenty minutes? I’ll believe it when I see it!” Kate laughed.

“Errr, shut up, you.” Rana was aware her comeback was weak but she also knew that Kate’s assumption was correct. 

Rana returned forty five minutes later and smiled when she realised that Kate had fallen asleep. She felt guilty at having to wake her up but time was ticking and Kate needed to get ready. They were both somehow ready with time to spare and made the short walk to The Rovers.

They entered the pub to a rapturous applause and were overwhelmed at the effort their family and friends had made with the decorations. The baby bunting behind the bar read ‘it’s a boy’ and had ‘or a girl’ written directly above it. 

The buffet had been kept simple with the usual nibbles and such but the best part was the centre piece; a white triple layered cake, decorated in cute woodland animals to match the ones featured in Nugget’s nursery.

“Robert made that.” Michelle came up behind them and placed her hands on Kate’s shoulders. Kate reached up and placed a hand over her cousins.

“This is amazing, thank you everyone.”

“Just a warning, love, Mary has taken it upon herself to be in charge,” Johnny whispered and patted his daughters hand. 

Kate and Rana looked around the pub and saw that the tables were set up with numerous games and activities. 

“Oh, hello you two,” Mary cheerfully greeted them. “Shall we get started? There’s lots of fun to be had!” 

The two women shared a look at the headset she was wearing and the clipboard she was holding and decided it was easier to just let her get on with whatever she had planned.

Mary called Kate and Rana up to the first table and gave them both a doll, talcum powder and a nappy. She explained the simple rules; they had to change the baby as fast as possible.

“One, two, three, go!” Mary started the stopwatch and they got to work. 

Kate was fast and had completed the task before her wife, who had taken her time. Once they were both finished, Mary inspected their work.

“The winner is...Rana!”

“What? I was faster!” Kate protested and stood with her hands on her hips. Mary lifted the doll and the nappy promptly fell off. “Oh, oops,” Kate chuckled. “You do know that means you’re automatically on full time nappy duty, yeah?” 

“Yeah, yeah.” Rana stuck out her tongue and lightly nudged her with her elbow.

“Ladies, if I may direct your attention to the next game.” Mary beckoned them over. 

Two dummies had been attached to string and were being held up by Bethany and Emma, who were each stood on a chair. Kate and Rana had to get the dummies in their mouth with their hands tied behind their backs and the fastest would be declared the winner. 

Neither woman could do it without laughing and soon the entire pub joined in at the comical scene. It was a close call but Kate was eventually declared the winner. 

“Are you alright?” Rana asked in concern when she saw Kate wincing and holding her side in discomfort.

“Yeah,” she insisted before she dashed off to the ladies room as fast as she could.

_______________________________________________________________

For the next few weeks, Kate was restless and bored. She was now officially overdue and if she thought she had been impatient and anxious for Nugget’s arrival before then it was nothing compared to now.

Now that she had nothing to fill her time with, she felt as if the days were never ending and she had the sudden urge to clean and tidy things away, even if she had already done it (she had tidied the nursery and folded Nugget’s outfits so many times, Rana had lost count) 

Of course she was enjoying her pregnancy and was looking forward to meeting Nugget but there were some aspects of it that weren’t so pleasing. Like her constant tiredness, her newfound clumsiness, her awkward waddle and the dreaded cankles. Rana had constantly reassured her she was beautiful and Kate knew that her wife meant it.

“You’ve not got long now and it’ll all be worth it,” Rana said. She had just finished work and had called Kate to check in.

“I know,” Kate agreed with a sigh and shifted uncomfortably. She rubbed her lower back and closed her eyes as the pain refused to subside.

“I’m gonna pick up dinner before I get ‘ome; is pasta okay with you?”

“Yeah.” 

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit. Love you.”

“Love you too,” Kate answered and ended the call. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth as she tried to ignore the pain she’d had on and off all day. 

She tried to focus on the TV screen but nothing seemed to hold her attention. She had eventually found a channel showing re-runs of ‘Friends’ and it was the one where Rachel and Chandler discover the abandoned cheesecake.

She laughed out loud at the silliness and grimaced when she felt herself have an ‘accident’. She huffed in annoyance and tried to heave herself from the sofa and that’s when the pain tripled. She closed her eyes and gripped the arm rest as she cried out. She quickly fumbled for her phone and called her wife, who answered on the second ring.

“I’m just at the till, babe, I’ll be five minutes.”

“No....you need to come now....I think I’m in labour.”

End of chapter twenty three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, who's ready to meet Nugget?! Next chapter, I promise. 
> 
> Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you thought. More soon!


	24. Twenty four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks so much for the comments and kudos. Who's ready to meet Nugget? :)

New beginnings 

Chapter twenty four

Kate took a few deep, relaxing breaths as the pain began to peter out and she gingerly rose from the sofa. The sudden urge to use the loo was unbearable and she slowly made her way to the bathroom.

Rana practically ripped the door from the hinges as she burst through it and she began to panic when she saw the empty room. She heard the toilet flush and she started to relax a bit when she saw her wife come into the room. Rana quickly sprung into action and was immediately by her side.

“Are you okay?” Rana asked and helped her to the sofa. “Sorry, silly question.”

“I thought I’d wet myself, but my waters broke,” Kate said. 

“How long ago was your last contraction?”

“A few minutes ago but....I’ve sort of had them...on and off all day...”

“Kate!”

“Sorry! You said you had a busy schedule and I didn’t wanna trouble ya.”

“Don’t be daft, I told you to call me,” Rana sighed and simultaneously rubbed Kate’s lower back and swollen belly. 

She checked the time on her upside down watch and waited for the next contraction. If it came within the next ten/fifteen minutes, they would be able to hold off going to the hospital for a little longer but if it came within the next three/five minutes, she would need to call their midwife. 

Exactly twelve minutes later, Kate felt the next contraction rip through her body and Rana was amazed at the plethora of profanities that swiftly tumbled from her mouth.

“Okay, that’s good,” Rana said and stood up.

“Good?! It flamin’ well ‘urts!”

“No, I mean ‘good’ as in Nugget’s not quite ready yet – we’ve still got a way to go.”

“Where are you goin’?” Kate tried to get up to follow but Rana gently pushed her down by her shoulder.

“I’m just going to get changed – I don’t wanna go to the hospital in my scrubs,” Rana said. She hurriedly got changed into her favourite comfy leggings and her ‘pizza my heart’ t-shirt and quickly ran back into the living room when she heard Kate yelling.

“I can’t take much more of this.” Kate was close to tears and was holding onto the kitchen counter for support. “It hurts so much I don’t know what to do with myself.” 

Rana gently rubbed the small of Kate’s back and after some gentle encouragement, Kate moved from the counter and hung loosely in Rana’s arms.

“I want a shower.”

“Really?” Rana checked and Kate nodded.

“I feel minging...down there...”

“Well, I hate to break it to ya but it’s gonna get worse in a few hours,” Rana pointed out. “I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“I...” Kate’s sentence was cut off as the next contraction hit. It was four minutes since the last one and Rana quickly made the call to their midwife.

“I don’t want to move,” Kate’s voice was muffled against Rana’s neck. The feeling of being in her wife’s arms was giving her so much strength and stability she felt that she would lose it if she moved.

“We’ve gotta go,” Rana insisted but Kate wouldn’t budge. “Babe, come on, we need to go now. We’re already cutting it fine - do you wanna give birth in the car?”

“Noooo....” Kate whined and shook her head but allowed Rana to help her to the door. 

The bags had already been loaded into the car in preparation of Nugget’s impending arrival and they were able to make the short journey to the hospital with relative ease. 

The midwife and nurses were ready and waiting for them and promptly got them settled into a room. With help from Rana and the midwife, Kate got onto the bed and got comfortable while the necessary tests and examinations were carried out. 

The midwife informed her that she was five centimetres dilated and advised them both to relax and she promised to visit again in a short while.

Rana sat beside her wife and positioned the hand held fan to gently blow the cool air against her hot and sweaty face. She fed her ice chips and mopped her brow and tried not to wince when Kate squeezed her hand a little too hard.

“That was the strongest one by far,” Kate panted and slumped back against the pillows. “Can you call my dad; let him know what’s goin’ on?”

Rana nodded and quickly popped out of the room to make the call. 

“Your dad and Jenny are on their way,” Rana said and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

“What? It might be ages yet!”

“I know, I told him that but he insisted on being here.”

As promised, the midwife returned within the hour and informed them that Kate was now seven centimetres dilated.

“You’re almost there – just three more centimetres to go.”

“Oh, what, how long will that take?” Kate asked, groggy with exhaustion.

“There’s no real guarantee but you’re progressing quite quickly, so I’d estimate you’ll be fully dilated in two to three hours.”

“Are you for real?! That’s ages!” 

“It’s not really, babe,” Rana soothed and rubbed her hand. 

“Yeah, well you’re not the one pushing a flippin’ baby elephant out of your vajayjay, are ya?!” Kate snapped in frustration and Rana and the midwife shared a look. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Rana assured her and mopped Kate’s brow when another strong contraction ripped through her body. She had learned not to take anything Kate said to heart, since she knew she didn’t mean it.

“Has it been three hours yet?” Kate whimpered and with help from Rana and the midwife, rolled to her left side.

“Sorry,” the midwife said and patted Kate’s hand. “Oh, by the way, your parents are here – do you want me to give them an update?” She offered and neither woman had the energy to correct the midwife about Kate’s parentage.

“Can you go?” Kate asked her wife, who nodded. 

“Okay, I’ll come and check on you in a bit, love,” the midwife promised and left the room.

“I’m so proud of you, you’re doing amazing,” Rana encouraged and rubbed Kate’s back. “I’ll be back in a minute,” she promised and kissed Kate’s sweaty temple.

Johnny and Jenny immediately stood up when they saw Rana approaching and met her halfway.

“How is she, love?”

“Any sign of Nugget, yet?”

“Kate’s fine, she’s doing really well but we’ve still got a long way to go,” Rana explained. “Why don’t you get some rest and come back in the morning? I’ll call you as soon as Nugget’s here and I promise you’ll be first in line for cuddles.” 

“I appreciate what you’re saying, sweetheart, but I’m going nowhere,” Johnny insisted and Jenny nodded her agreement.

“Okay, well at least go and get some coffee. Don’t bother with the rubbish from the vending machine, I saw a Costa on the way in.”

“I dunno....” 

“You’ve both got your phones, haven’t ya? I promise I’ll call you with any news.” 

“Fine,” Jenny agreed. “C’mon, you, maybe I’ll let you have some tiffin.”

Rana excused herself and hurried back to Kate’s room.

“Are they okay?”

“Yeah. I persuaded them to go for a coffee and Jenny mentioned getting your dad some tiffin.”

“I don’t even want to know about dad and Jenny having tiffin,” Kate grimaced. 

“Relax; it’s a type of cake.” 

The next few hours were extremely taxing for Kate but she was grateful that her personal cheerleader refused to leave her side. She was absolutely shattered and she honestly didn’t know how she would get through it without her wife.

When the midwife came back and confirmed that she was fully dilated, both women almost cried in relief and joy. She set up the gas and air machine (as per Kate’s request) and helped fix the mask over her face.

“Okay, love, when you feel like you need to push, then push.”

Kate nodded and gripped Rana’s hand as she began to push.

“That’s it, you’re doing well. Remember your breathing – show her, Rana.”

“Like this, babe,” Rana encouraged and demonstrated the breathing technique. “That’s it,” she said when Kate mimicked the action. Kate collapsed against the pillows and Rana held the small fan close to her face.

“You know what we’re ‘aving doncha?” Kate spoke between laboured breaths.

“‘Ey? What you on about?”

“Nugget; you know the gender – you could tell on the screen at twenty weeks.”

“Don’t be daft. Have some more gas and air.” Rana fixed it back over her mouth.

“I know you - you’re such a bad liar, Rana Habeeb-Connor,” Kate spoke around the mask but her teasing was cut short by the next strong contraction and she yelled out. “I can’t do it, I’m knackered and it flippin’ hurts.”

“You can do it, babe.” Rana encouraged. “You’re doing so well – you’re amazing and you’re the strongest woman I know. I’m right here with ya and we can do this, together. We make a great team, remember?”

Kate nodded and gave a really strong push.

“That’s it, keep going!” The midwife cheered her on. “Okay, I can see the head so stop pushing for now and just concentrate on your breathing. Rana?”

“Like this, remember?” Rana blew short breaths through her mouth and Kate followed suit.

“Excellent. Okay a couple more really good pushes and you can meet your baby.”

Kate nodded and squeezed Rana’s hand in a vice like grip as she followed the instructions.

“That’s it, one more big push, you can do it!”

“Come on babe, I’m right here with ya.” Rana held Kate’s hand in both of hers and kissed her fingers. 

“AHHHHHHH!!!!”

Kate gave one final push and her cries were soon intermingled with Nugget’s wailing.

Rana immediately leaned over to kiss her wife squarely on the lips and they began to sob as Nugget’s high pitched crying filled the room.

“Congratulations, ladies, you have a gorgeous baby girl,” the midwife announced and Kate and Rana shared a face splitting grin. “I’ll just clean her up and weigh her and then you can say hello – I’ll be as quick as possible.” The midwife completed her checks and carefully placed Nugget in Kate’s arms. “Six pounds four ounces.”

“Hi, Nugget, oh baby, you’re soooo beautiful!” Kate gushed and she and Rana grinned giddily at one another as tears of joys ran down their cheeks. “Look at her hair!” She said and kissed Nugget’s forehead.

“Look at her little fingers and ears,” Rana cooed and her heart soared when Nugget reached up to grasp her forefinger. “Hi,” she whispered and kissed her cheek.

“Do you want to try and feed her?” The midwife asked and Kate nodded.

The midwife helped Nugget latch on and Kate’s eyes widened at the odd sensation.

“This feels soooo weird!” Kate giggled and blushed when she saw Rana watching in adoration. “What?”

“You’re amazing, d’ya know that?” Rana spoke in the softest voice and she leaned forward to kiss her. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” Kate said and kissed her again before she peered down at Nugget. “She stopped. Has she finished?” 

“Looks like it,” the midwife smiled at the content baby. “She’ll need burping now. Do you want the honours, Rana?”

“Definitely,” Rana said and carefully scooped her daughter up. “Hi,” she whispered and positioned a cloth square on her shoulder before she began to gently rub and pat Nugget’s back. “Aw, you’re so clever!” Rana cooed when Nugget burped. 

“Would you like me to get your parents?” the midwife offered and Kate nodded before she readjusted herself. Rana carefully placed Nugget in Kate’s arms and sat down in the chair next to her.

A few minutes later, Johnny and Jenny quietly entered the room. They slowly approached the bed and burst into tears at the sight of their beautiful grandchild. 

“Hi.” Kate offered them a tired smile and beckoned them to come closer. “You’ve got a granddaughter.”

“I knew it!” Jenny grinned triumphantly. “Oh, she’s perfect.”

“She’s a proper smasher, int she!” Johnny wiped his eyes and tenderly ran a finger over her soft curly hair.

“Have you decided on a name, yet?” Jenny asked and Kate and Rana nodded.

“Meet Grace Nadia Louisa Habeeb-Connor. Or just Grace, for short,” Rana said with an excited smile.

“It’s beautiful girls,” Jenny smiled. “But why ‘Nadia’? Not that I don’t like it or ‘owt...”

“It’s Aidan spelled backwards,” Rana explained and Kate and her dad shared a poignant smile at the memory of him. 

“I think we need a family photo,” Jenny said and held out her hand for Rana’s phone. “How do you work this thing?” She mumbled to herself but soon located the camera. “Big smiles girls.”

Kate and Rana didn’t need the prompt as they were already smiling from ear to ear. They lovingly gazed at their awake and alert newborn contently sucking away at her tiny fingers and their hearts swelled with love and joy at the bundle of perfection they had brought into the world. 

End of chapter twenty four.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I really hope you enjoyed this one and it was worth the wait. :) Please let me know what you think. More soon!


	25. Twenty five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for the comments and kudos - they're much appreciated. :)

New beginnings

Chapter twenty five

Johnny and Jenny had left almost an hour ago, after the midwife had politely reminded them that visiting time was over as Kate needed to rest. The midwife recommended they take naps around Grace’s sleeping schedule and both women eagerly followed her advice. 

Rana was the first to wake. She quietly tiptoed to the hospital bed and wasn’t surprised to discover that Kate was completely zonked out and gently snoring. 

She peered into the bassinet and smiled to herself when she saw that Grace was wide awake and sucking her fingers. She carefully scooped her daughter up and tenderly cradled her in her arms before she placed her on the changing mat and changed her nappy.

Rana made quick work of it since Grace had started to become fussy and she knew her daughter was about ten seconds away from crying. She quickly redressed her in the ‘I love my mummies’ sleep suit and carefully lifted her up.

“You’re a natural at that.” Kate’s voice was soft so as not to startle her wife and daughter.

“You’re only saying that to get out of doing it,” Rana teased and placed their baby in Kate’s outstretched arms so that she could feed her.

It took a few tries but Kate eventually managed to undo her nursing bra before Grace had a meltdown. Grace soon fell into a milk coma and Rana burped her before she laid her back down in her bassinet.

Kate took advantage of the quiet time and finally managed to fit in a quick shower before the midwife arrived to assess her. Mother and baby were given a clean bill of health and Kate was pleased to be discharged that afternoon. 

“D’ya hear that Nugget? We’re goin’ home!” Kate said excitedly and Rana went to the car to get the car seat. They thanked the midwife and the maternity team on the way out and after several hugs goodbye, they started the journey home.

_______________________________________________________________

“Bloody hell, this weighs a ton,” Rana complained as she carried the occupied car seat up the stairs to their flat. “If I keep this up, I reckon I’ll have arms like yours soon.”

Kate unlocked the front door and Rana immediately set the car seat down and lifted Grace out.

“Welcome home, Nugget,” Rana whispered and kissed her cheek. 

“I reckon the guided tour can wait,” Kate said and watched as Rana carefully laid Grace down in her cot. 

Rana readjusted their daughter’s scratch mitts so she wouldn’t scratch her face and picked up the baby monitor on her way out. They checked on Grace from the doorway and left the nursery door open, just in case. 

“Do you want a brew?”

“Oh, you read my mind! It feels like years since the last one.”

“Sit down, I’ll make it,” Rana said and looked at her wife when the intercom buzzed. “Are you up for visitors?” She asked and quickly snatched it up before the sound had a chance to wake their sleeping baby. She buzzed Michelle and Imran up and got two extra mugs out from the cupboard.

Rana opened the door and laughed in confusion at the stacks of containers and tubs concealing their visitors’ faces.

“We come bearing gifts,” Imran announced and placed the stack on the counter. He shooed his sister away and took over the tea duty. 

“Err, excuse me, you’re just the donkey,” Michelle pointed out. “These are from The Bistro. Robert and I figured you wouldn’t have time to eat properly so we made you some meals – there’s lasagne, chilli, chicken pie...you can freeze them or stick ‘em in the fridge, it’s up to you.”

“Thanks ‘Chelle,” Kate hugged her cousin.

“Don’t be daft, it’s no trouble. So how are you all?”

“Good. Knackered but good,” Kate said and accepted the mug from her brother in law and leaned into her wife when she sat next to her on the sofa. 

“This is for you,” Imran handed his sister a neatly wrapped box. “Toyah wrapped it by the way,” he needlessly explained.

Rana opened the box and she and Kate ‘awwed’ at the contents. Inside was five wooden blocks to spell out Grace, painted in the same colour scheme as the nursery.

“According to Toyah, they’re made out of ‘environment friendly materials’. I didn’t ask.” 

“Thank you. We’ll put ‘em up later; she’s sleeping at the moment,” Kate said and checked the screen on the baby monitor. They had decided to splurge out on a top end brand and had chosen one with a camera so they could instantly check on Nugget without disturbing her. 

“Oh, we can come back if.....”

“Oh no, it’s fine. She’s like her mummy – she could sleep through an Earthquake,” she teased and nudged Rana’s arm with her elbow.

“Oi!” 

“That might not be a bad thing, y’know,” Michelle pointed out and she and Imran waited for Kate and Rana to lead the way to the nursery. “Oh, I almost forgot; Carla sends her apologies – she’s had to go away on a last minute business trip but she sends her love.”

“Right, of course,” Kate mumbled. She knew better than to try and compete with her sister’s business.

“Here she is,” Rana quietly announced and laughed as her brother cautiously walked toward the cot. “Careful, she’s savage,” she teased and Kate sniggered when Imran paused.

He slowly joined Michelle at the side of the cot and peered down at his niece. His throat tightened and he felt tears burning the back of his eyes – he had truly never seen a more beautiful sight.

“Do you want to hold her?” Kate asked and Imran vehemently shook his head. Grace was so small and dainty; he was scared he would somehow hurt her.

“I do,” Michelle nodded and carefully picked up the tiny baby. “Hello love,” she cooed and stroked her curly hair. She smiled when Grace didn’t even stir. “She’s so gorgeous. She looks just like you, Rana.” 

“My two gorgeous girls,” Kate proudly stated and wrapped an arm around Rana’s shoulders. She kissed her lips and rested their heads together. Rana held her wife close and tenderly rubbed her side. 

“Blimey, how long are her eyelashes?! Some girls would pay a fortune to have theirs look like that!” Michelle joked. “Do you want to hold her?” She asked Imran, who once again declined.

“Why don’t you hold her in the rocking chair?” Kate suggested. “You won’t hurt her, she’s a Habeeb-Connor; don’t you know we’re made of tough stuff?”

Imran smiled and moved over to the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery. He hesitantly held out his arms and Michelle placed his niece in his rigid arms.

Kate and Rana shared an amused look and Rana decided to help him out. She repositioned his arms into a more comfortable hold and she quickly whipped her phone out to snap a photo.

“Oi, I wasn’t ready!” Imran protested and turned his attention to Grace when she began to fuss and wriggle against his chest. “Did I do that?”

“No it’s okay, I think she’s due a feed,” Kate said.

“And that’s my cue to leave,” Imran said and Kate took Grace from his arms.

“I should get back an’ all. I left Ryan in charge - I’m not sure why.”

The trio left Kate and Grace in the nursery while she had her lunch. Michelle hugged Rana and told her to call if she needed anything, while Imran hung back to speak to his sister.

“Have you called mum and dad?”

“No.”

“Rana...” he chided. “Don’t you think they have a right to know?”

“No, I really don’t. Call me crazy, but I get the impression they don’t want anything to do with me, I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because they wrote me out of dad’s will and disowned me countless times, who knows.” Rana’s tone was unmistakably sharp and sarcastic.

“I know that but now they’re grandparents; they might be more accepting of you and Kate....”

“No. I will not use my daughter as some kind of bartering tool in exchange for their acceptance. Why should I? They had their chance to accept us years ago and they repeatedly chose not to. I really couldn’t care less what they think, so drop it,” she said and furiously began to wash up the cups. 

“Okay, okay,” he held up in hands in surrender and backed away to the door. “I’ll leave you to it. Call me if you need anything, yeah? And don’t post that picture online.”

“Too late,” she teased and shoved him out of the door. 

_______________________________________________________________

During the course of the night, Grace proceeded to wake up practically every hour. Mostly it was because she required a feed, other times it was to be changed but sometimes she woke up simply because she wanted a reassuring cuddle and even though they were completely worn out, her parents were only too happy to oblige.

After a cuddle and a few soothing words from either mother Grace would settle but for some reason, this time she refused to calm down.

“What’s wrong Nugget, huh?” Kate rocked and gently bounced the squawking baby but it made no difference; Grace’s legs and arms were flailing about furiously and her wailing grew in volume. “You try,” she suggested and Rana took over.

“C’mon Nugget, shhh, shhh, shhh!” Rana repositioned her higher up against her chest and walked around the room. The new attempt seemed to work and Grace’s wailing reduced to whimpers and huffs. 

“Have I gone deaf or has she stopped?” Kate asked through a yawn. “How did you do it?” She asked and Rana shrugged at the simplicity of her action.

“I dunno, it was pure luck,” Rana admitted. “She’s stopped but I’m pretty she’s hungry again. Maybe she hadn’t finished and that’s what was wrong?” Rana said as Grace began rooting around her chest. “If she keeps this up, you might actually get your wish for a chubby baby,” she teased and placed their daughter in her wife’s arms. “I’ll make us a brew.” Rana kissed her wife’s lips and her daughters head before she left their bedroom.

She prepared the mugs for the tea and tiredly leaned against the counter as she waited for the kettle to boil. She made the drinks and entered their bedroom.

“Is she okay?” Rana asked and checked on the sleeping baby. She was finally asleep and was contently sucking away at her fingers through her scratch mitts.

“For now,” Kate said and took the mug from her wife. She sat back against the headboard and drank her tea. “I have no idea what I’m doing,” Kate quietly admitted and sighed.

“With what?” Rana frowned and looked at her wife.

“Grace....” Kate shrugged and fought back her tears. Rana took the mug from her hands and placed them both on the nightstand. 

“What? Of course you do!” Rana shifted to face her. “What makes you say that?”

“Because I didn’t know what was wrong with her. I should know these things.”

“There probably wasn’t anything wrong, I bet she just wanted attention,” Rana said and soothingly rubbed Kate’s thigh and pressed a reassuring kiss to her wife’s forehead. “It might take a bit of time but we’ll figure it out, together,” Rana said and they both smiled at their daughter, who was softly snoring. “But for now, I think we should try and get some more sleep before she wakes up again.” 

“On one condition,” Kate said and settled down under the covers.

“What’s that?”

“I get to be the little spoon,” she requested and slowly turned over onto her side.

“Deal,” Rana agreed. She wrapped her arms around Kate’s waist and snuggled against her back and soon the soft snores from all three occupants filled the room.

End of chapter twenty five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought. More soon!


	26. Twenty six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for the comments and kudos. I've got a bit of free time this week, so I thought I'd update again. I hope you like this one. :)

New beginnings

Chapter twenty six

With every passing day, Kate and Rana became more and more besotted with their beautiful daughter. Grace was only a week old but in that time, they had learned a lot about her. 

They had learned that she while she loved to be held and cuddled, she hated being cradled and would fuss and cry if she was held in that position (unless of course she was feeding). After several experiments, they discovered that she much preferred to be propped up high over their shoulder and would settle quicker when she was held that way. 

They learned that she liked to be washed (they hadn’t tried bathing her yet and were waiting until after the visit from the midwife, which was scheduled today) and would become so relaxed, she would often fall asleep during the topping and tailing.

They also discovered that she liked the sound of some household appliances - her particular favourites were the hoover and the hairdryer. She did not, however, like the sound of the intercom and would let out a loud, high pitched wail every time it sounded.

Like now, for instance.

“I’ve got it!” Rana called out and snatched up the receiver before Grace had the chance to work herself up into a state. “The midwife’s here,” Rana informed her wife, who was busy redressing Grace after changing her nappy. 

Kate snapped the last popper on Grace’s white and lilac sleepsuit and kissed her cheek before she settled on the sofa to feed her.

Rana met the midwife at the door and invited her into their home.

“Sorry I’m a bit late – I think I hit every red light on the way,” she joked and declined Rana’s offer of a cuppa. “How are you all?” She asked and smiled at Grace’s noisy eating. “I see you’ve got the hang of it.”

“Yeah, I’ve been getting a lot of practice in – she feeds every couple of hours,” Kate explained.

“That’s good,” the midwife wrote the information down. “And has your mature milk come through yet?” She asked and smiled at Kate’s unsure expression. “The look on your face tells me it hasn’t. Trust me; you’ll know when it does!” 

Kate looked down when Grace stopped sucking and her small body loosened up. She waited a few moments to see if she would resume and when it became apparent she had finished, Rana took over with the burping. 

“How many wet and soiled nappies would you say she produces in a day?”

“It depends,” Rana said and walked around the room as she continuously patted and rubbed Grace’s back. “Some days it can be up to twelve times but sometimes less on other days,” she explained and smiled when she felt and heard Grace burp against her shoulder. She sat down next to Kate and they shared a fond smile at the sight of their comatose baby.

“She’s such a little sweetie,” the midwife gushed. “But she’s not going to like me much, I’m afraid. Do you remember on my last visit, I told you about the heel-prick test? I’d like to do that today. You can say no if you don’t want Grace to have it but it is strongly recommended that she does.” 

“Yeah, do it,” Kate said without hesitation. Rana had already explained the specifics to her and Kate trusted her wife more than anybody.

“Before I do that, I’ve got some other tests to carry out first, if that’s okay?” The midwife asked and the two women nodded.

The midwife unsnapped Grace’s sleepsuit to check on her umbilical stump and was satisfied that it had healed nicely and was free from infection. She also weighed her and informed Kate and Rana that although Grace had lost two ounces, it was nothing to worry about and would more than likely regain her birth weight within the next few days.

“Now we’ve come to part she won’t like,” the midwife informed them. She laid the baby across Kate’s knees and crouched down in front. She quickly pricked Grace’s heel and squeezed several drops of blood onto the blood spot card.

Grace woke up at the unexpected pain. She sucked in a few staggered breaths before her bottom lip dropped and she began to loudly wail.

“Oh, it’s okay, Nugget, you’re okay!” Kate held her close while Rana soothingly rubbed her back. Her crying soon tailed off to a whimper and she settled down, albeit grumpily. “Ha! She looks just like you when you’re sulking!” Kate pointed out and Rana frowned.

“Excuse me? I do not sulk!”

“Right...” Kate smirked and Rana shook her head – she knew her wife was right but she wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of telling her that.

The midwife watched the exchange in amusement and began to pack up her things.

“It looks like we’re all done here, ladies. The next visit you’ll have will be with the health visitor. I’ll pass all your notes on to her and she will contact you nearer the time. In the meantime, you can call me with any questions or concerns you might have. No matter how small you think it might be, I’m here to help, so please don’t be afraid to ask.”

“I’ve got a question,” Rana said. “When can we give her her first bath?”

“Well, everything looks good – you can do it today, if you want,” the midwife said and handed them a leaflet with instructions and advice on what to do. “You might want to wait until she’s calmer, though,” she said and looked at Grace, who was still a little huffy. 

They decided to do it that evening and ran through the checklist before they got started. They made sure they had two towels (one for the floor and one for Nugget) a clean nappy and a fresh pair of pyjamas. 

Kate held Grace while Rana filled the small baby bath with warm water. She mixed the water with her hand and tested the temperature with her elbow. 

Once Rana was satisfied it was the perfect temperature, Kate stripped their baby and gently lowered her into the tub. She placed one hand behind her head to keep it clear of the water, while Rana carefully and gently swished the water over Grace’s tiny body.

They watched her face for any sign of discomfort and even though she sucked in a few unsteady breaths, Kate and Rana were surprised when she remained impassive. 

“I think she likes it,” Kate grinned. “Is that nice, Nugget, yeah?” She cooed in a soft baby voice and Grace responded by repeatedly licking her lips with her tiny tongue. They finished up before she got cold and gently patted her skin dry with the towel, paying special attention to the folds. Rana quickly got her dressed and Kate fed her before they put her to bed.

The couple enjoyed a simple dinner of chilli con carne and rice before they snuggled up together on the sofa. Kate began to flick through Netflix but before they could decide on something to watch, they had both fallen asleep. 

_______________________________________________________________

Over the next few weeks, Grace continued to grow and develop. She was now two months old and her unique personality was starting to emerge. She was generally a happy and smiley baby but like most infants, she was prone to the odd grizzle and tantrum especially when she was frustrated.

One of her favourite activities was to lie on her back on her soft play mat. Sometimes she liked to bat away at the hanging toys on her baby gym and other times she was simply content to have her mummies lay on the floor with her - her little legs would kick happily as they played and spoke to her. 

Her thick, dark, curly hair had thinned out and was now a couple of shades lighter and at eleven pounds exactly, she was just shy of being double her birth weight.

Rana had gone back to work part time and Kate, desperate to get back to her pre baby weight, had enrolled herself and Grace in a mother and baby water aerobics class, twice a week. Grace had turned out to be a true water baby and now that her movements were slightly more coordinated, she loved being able to splash about. 

After the class, Kate had snapped a quick selfie of the two of them in their swimsuits and sent it to her wife while she was at work. The response was immediate and Kate smiled at the amount of hearts and heart eyes emojis she received as well as a more personal message, which made her entire body flush.

As well as a pram, Kate and Rana had decided to buy a baby carrier and took it in turns to wear it when they were out and about. Grace was a total ham and loved the attention she got from passers-by, whether they were complete strangers or people her parents knew; they all received the same gummy grin. 

“Oh, she’s a bonny little lass,” Rita had cooed when they popped into the Kabin one afternoon. “Ey, you should enter her in the annual baby contest,” she suggested and handed them a copy of the Weatherfield Gazette as well as Kate’s magazine and some pick ‘n’ mix for Rana. 

“I dunno...” Rana hesitated and looked at her wife.

“Well, it might be something to think about – I’d certainly vote for her and I’m sure most folk ‘round here would too,” Rita said and lightly squeezed Grace’s ankle. 

The next day, Rana got home from work and found Grace busy doing her favourite activity – lying on her play mat, kicking her legs and feet while she sucked on her hand.

“You’re home early,” Kate said from her place on the sofa and leaned forward to receive her kiss. 

“Yeah, a couple of patients cancelled so I thought I’d come ‘ome and see my favourite girls,” she explained and slid on the floor next to Grace. “Hiya!” She cooed and smooched Grace’s cheek. She moved down and blew a long raspberry on her belly and Grace sucked in a surprised breath and grabbed two fistfuls of her mums’ hair.

“Ow, no grabbing, no.” Rana backed away and turned to face her laughing wife, who was filming the moment on her phone. “Oh, think it’s funny, do ya?” She asked and tried to grab the phone but Kate was too fast.

“Well, she gets it from you – now you know what it feels like.” 

End of chapter twenty six.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Please let me know your thoughts. More soon! :)


	27. Twenty seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos. I hope you like this one. :)

New beginnings

Chapter twenty seven

The bright sunshine filtered through the gap in the curtains and Kate groaned as the thin strip of light shone directly on her face and woke her up. 

She slowly raised her head to peek into the co sleeper and was surprised to find that Grace was still sleeping peacefully. She watched her daughter’s deep, rhythmic breathing for a moment and smiled at the cuteness – one arm was raised up high, with her clenched fist resting on her shoulder while her other hand took up its usual place of residence and was jammed in her mouth.

She heard her wife stirring behind her and she quickly rolled over to face her. Before Rana had the chance to speak, Kate greeted her with a kiss and a cheeky grin.

“Do you hear that?” Kate whispered and Rana frowned. She leaned over Kate’s body to look at Grace and her expression matched that of her wife’s when she saw their zonked out baby. 

Although Grace hadn’t yet mastered the art of sleeping through the entire night (she still woke up for a feed and/or to be changed) she had managed to sleep in solid blocks and had clocked up an impressive six hours last night, which was her longest yet.

“I’ll make us a cuppa,” Kate offered and climbed out of bed with Rana close behind.

Rana walked up behind her wife and held her by the hips as she carefully pressed her against the counter. “Do you reckon you can be quiet?” Rana questioned and Kate bit her lip when her wife began to kiss the back and side of her neck. 

“We’ll have to be quick.” Kate turned around and Rana nodded as she got to work – the tea quickly forgotten. 

Kate groaned loudly when Rana hit a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear and both women froze and listened out for the sound of crying.

“That was close.” Kate sighed in relief. “We really should be used to interruptions by now,” Kate joked and Rana pulled back with an impatient sigh.

“Shhh, you have to be quiet otherwise we’ll never get to my turn.”

Kate made a ‘zipping’ motion across her lips and Rana mouthed her thanks. She trailed her fingers down Kate’s body and since time was of the essence, she took Kate’s hand and guided her to where she needed her. Rana fused their lips together to swallow their moans of pleasure and they moved together quickly and frantically as they raced toward their release.

Rana separated their lips with a pop and she snuggled against Kate’s body as they briefly basked in their afterglow. Gone were the days where they could spend hours in bed, enjoying each others’ company and both women would be lying if they said they didn’t miss them. Rana snuggled against Kate’s warm body and sighed when she ran her fingers through her hair.

“Is the five minute game not doing it for you?” Kate asked and not for the first time, Rana wondered if she could read her mind 

“Not really,” Rana’s voice was muffled against Kate’s collarbone.

“Me neither. Maybe I’ll ask my dad to look after her one evening.”

They checked on Nugget and were once again surprised to find her undisturbed so Kate decided to take a shower, while Rana made a start on breakfast. 

Today was Sunday which meant there was no rush to start the day; even Nugget seemed to get the memo, as she was still asleep by the time Kate had finished in the shower.

“You don’t think there’s something wrong do ya?” Kate asked as she towel dried her hair and styled it in to a messy top bun. “With Grace, I mean?”

“No, she’s fine,” Rana reassured her wife and rubbed her arm before she turned her attention back to making breakfast.

“I noticed her cheeks are a bit rosy. You don’t think her jabs have made her poorly, do you?” Kate frowned and worriedly bit her bottom lip. 

“No, babe.” 

Two days prior, Grace had been given her scheduled immunisations during their latest postnatal check up and Kate had voiced her concerns to her wife.

“That’s a lot of jabs to have all at once, surely that’s too many?”

“It’s only three injections, one’s done orally,” Rana had explained but Kate was still unsure. “Babe, trust me, I’ve done thousands of these injections – she’ll be fine. She might not be a happy bunny after she’s had them but we’ll give her some Calpol and lots of cuddles and she’ll be as right as rain.”

Of course Rana had been proven right and although Grace had screamed the place down after her injections, she had soon calmed down after getting lots of attention from her parents.

“We really need to do a food shop,” Rana said as she Kate tucked into their scrambled eggs on toast. Kate grumbled at the thought but agreed since their cupboards were getting bare.

“We should look for some new outfits for Nugget while we’re there – some of her clothes are getting a bit tight,” Kate said. She finished her breakfast and cleared the table while Rana quietly checked on their baby.

Kate looked up from her phone and beamed when she saw her wife re-enter the room holding Grace.

“Good morning sleeping beauty! Aw, I’ve missed those pretty brown eyes,” Kate cooed and smiled when Grace yawned. “You can’t still be tired?” She playfully poked Grace’s podgy belly and quickly moved away when Grace tried to grab her hair. She settled down on the sofa to feed her while Rana made them fresh brews. 

“Oh, my dad messaged – he’s invited us over for Sunday lunch. I told him we’d be over after we’ve been shopping.” 

“Okay.” Rana placed their tea on the coffee table and sat next to her wife. She tucked her legs under her and curiously peered at their quiet daughter. “Has she finished already?”

“Yeah, she’s just playing with it now; something else she gets from you...” Kate grinned and tongued the inside of her cheek. Rana gasped at the absolute gall and playfully shoved her knee while Kate cracked up with laughter.

_______________________________________________________________

Rana parked the car in the mother and baby area and helped Kate with the baby carrier before she fetched a trolley. Grace snuggled against Kate’s chest and happily kicked her legs back and forth.

“Nappies, wipes, nappy sacks....” Rana listed the items as she placed them in the trolley. “That’s before we’ve even started on the food,” Rana said. She made a face at Nugget and blew a raspberry against the palm of her tiny hand. 

Kate nodded but soon became distracted by the cute baby outfits. She guided her wife toward them and pointed out a couple she liked. 

“What about this?” She held up a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt with a cute, cartoon unicorn and a pink one with the same design. “What do you think, Nugget?” She held Grace’s foot and kissed the top of her head. Grace responded by blowing bubbles from her lips and Kate shrugged.

“I think that means she likes it,” Rana said and put the outfit in the trolley. She looked up and saw someone familiar in the opposite aisle. “Oh no,” she muttered and tugged Kate’s arm. They rounded the corner and hid from the browsing woman.

“Who was that?” Kate asked quietly.

“My cousin Farah - she’s nice enough but nosy as hell,” Rana quietly spoke out the side of her mouth. “We lost contact years ago when...you know...” Rana trailed off with a sigh. “I know what she’s like; she’ll start asking a million questions and then she’ll tell my mum she saw us and I just can’t be doing with it.”

_______________________________________________________________

Rana carried a sleeping Grace in her car seat as she and Kate entered the back of The Rovers. They were only twenty minutes late and considering they had to put all their shopping away and feed and change Grace, they classed it as an achievement.

“We’re here!” Kate called out. She put Grace’s changing bag in the corner of the room while Rana lifted Grace from her seat. She kissed her face and held her close.

“Hiya, love,” Johnny greeted his daughter with a kiss, followed by Rana and Grace. “How are ya?”

“Yeah, we’re good. Where’s Jenny?” Kate asked and sat next to her wife and daughter on the sofa.

“She’s just finishing up at the bar; she’ll be through in a bit.”

“Are you sure you’re not needed at the front?” Rana asked and looked at Grace when she began to stir.

“Nah, I’ve left the gruesome twosome in charge; I’m sure they can cope for a bit,” Johnny said.

“We ‘eard that!” Gemma and Emma called out from the bar and Johnny winced.

Grace began to fully wake up and Johnny beamed in delight as she focused on his face and offered him a gummy grin. 

“Hello sweetheart! Come to grandad,” he softly cooed and lifted her from Rana’s arms. Kate took advantage of the newly vacated space and stretched her legs over her wife’s lap. “You’re getting a big girl now, aren’t ya?” He kissed his granddaughters’ cheek and she tightly gripped his forefinger. “She’s strong too.” 

“Aw, there she is, hi Nugget!” Jenny entered the room and held her arms out toward Grace. “C’mere gorgeous, come to Nana.”

“No, I’ve only just got her, you can wait,” Johnny protested and Jenny pouted.

“How is it possible that she gets cuter every time we see her? Seriously girls, if you ever want a night off, we’d be happy to babysit her,” Jenny said before she switched to an over the top baby voice. “Won’t we, Nugget? Yes we will, yes we will!” She gently tickled Grace’s tummy and melted when she got a huge smile in return.

“Actually, we were gonna ask you about that,” Rana said as she massaged Kate’s feet.

“Just name a time, even if it’s just an afternoon,” Jenny offered and Kate and Rana made a mental note to take them up on it. “Right, well lunch is nearly ready - I hope you’re hungry. We’re having chicken by the way and I’ve made Yorkshires, just for you Rana.”

“Aw, thanks Jenny, you’re the best.”

“Speaking of lunch,” Kate said and reached for Grace. “If I don’t feed her now, I can guarantee she’ll wait until I’ve picked up my knife and fork.” She draped the blanket over her shoulder and chest for privacy while Rana helped her in-laws with setting the table and dishing up.

After the delicious lunch was enjoyed and the washing up was done, Kate and Rana decided to go to the main part of the pub for a bit while Johnny and Jenny returned to work.

“Aw, she’s a proper cutie aint she!” Gemma reached out to touch Grace’s hair and Kate pulled her daughter back. “Wot?”

“When was the last time you washed your hands?” Kate asked and Gemma rolled her eyes.

“Oi, you make it sound like I’m diseased or summat!”

“Well, I dunno where your hands have been, do I?” Kate said and joined her wife in the back booth. Ryan soon joined them and surprised them both by asking if he could hold Grace. Kate instructed him on the correct way to hold her and was immediately impressed by his capability. 

He admitted his enjoyment at holding her but his happiness was ruined when Grace chose that exact moment to throw up all over his shoulder and back.

“Ugh, gross!” He complained and quickly handed her back to Kate.

“It’s alright, it blends in with your shirt,” Kate poked fun at his tie dye t-shirt. Rana took pity on him and helped clean him up, since Kate was too busy laughing her head off.

“Good afternoon girls,” Mary greeted them and invited herself to join them. “I was just wondering if you’ve seen this,” she asked and handed them a copy of The Weatherfield Gazette. She opened it to the relevant page and showed them the annual baby contest.

“Oh, yeah Rita told us about that. We haven’t decided yet,” Kate said and stood up when Grace began to fuss. She dug around in her bag and found her daughters' favourite soft Peter Rabbit comforter, which Grace promptly shoved in her mouth. Grace continued to fuss and grizzle before she began to cry. 

“Oh, Nugget, what’s wrong?” Rana asked and Nugget briefly stopped at the sound of her mother’s voice. The quietness didn’t last, however and her bottom lip dropped as she started to cry again.

Kate stroked her back and kissed her cheek but it did little to soothe her. “I’m just gonna take her upstairs for a bit,” she told her wife and headed through the back and grabbed Grace’s changing bag before she went upstairs. 

She entered the spare bedroom and scooted back against the headboard so she could feed her. Grace was pacified for a short while before she started to grizzle again. Kate changed her nappy and snuggled her close and still she wouldn’t settle. 

Kate sighed. She knew that Nugget was tired but there was just too much noise going on and since Grace was shaping up to be an inquisitive baby, it made the task of settling her all the more difficult.

Kate decided to have one last throw of the dice. 

She pushed the door until it was slightly ajar and gently hoisted Grace onto her shoulder. She positioned her arm under Grace’s bottom and cradled the back of her head. She held her daughter close as she slowly swayed on the spot. She pressed her lips to her tiny ear and began to softly sing.

“You are so beautiful, to me. You are so beautiful, to me....”

Kate stopped when she heard and felt Grace’s soft snuffling and pressed her lips to the side of her sleeping daughters’ head. She closed her eyes and inhaled her unique baby scent as she held her close; completely unaware that Rana was standing outside the door and had heard the entire thing.

End of chapter twenty seven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you thought. More soon!


	28. Twenty eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks so much for the comments and kudos. :)

New beginnings 

Chapter twenty eight

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Kate said as she and Rana waited in line at Freshco’s for the cutest baby competition. “I didn’t think you were keen.”

“I wasn’t but how can you resist that little face?” Rana questioned and both women melted as they peered into the pram and looked at their happy, wriggling baby. 

Grace was doing a wonderful impression of a bubble machine and Kate leaned in to wipe her face and mouth with a wet wipe. 

They had opted to use the pram instead of the baby carrier since they knew that Grace would often get bored and fidgety whilst she was laying in it and would want to get out, whereas if she was strapped into the carrier, she would be happy and content to snuggle against one of her parents and would fuss and cry when she was taken out, which of course wasn’t a good look for the photo shoot. 

Kate stood on her tiptoes to try and see the front of the queue but it was too long and the zigzag layout made it impossible. She took the time to look around the crowd to try and assess the competition; she knew she was biased but Nugget was by far the most adorable.

“Thank god she doesn’t have my nose.”

“Ey?” Kate snapped her attention back to her wife and frowned at her. “What are you on about?” She asked and draped an arm across Rana’s shoulders as she pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. “You are perfect,” she said and kept her lips pressed against Rana’s cheek and her nose against her temple. “And I love your cute nose,” she insisted and tapped it with her forefinger. “Boop boop!”

“Gerroff!” Rana giggled as she nudged her playful wife. “Do you see what I have to put up with, Nugget?” Rana switched to a baby voice as she spoke to Grace, who yawned in response and continued to blow bubbles through her tiny lips. 

“I think that means she’s on my side.” Kate kept her arm around Rana’s shoulders and one hand on the pram handle as they moved up a couple of spaces. “Ugh, look at all the pretentious parents,” Kate quietly whispered in Rana’s ear. 

All around them, parents were obsessively restyling their childrens hair and frantically fixing their outfits. One little boy, who couldn’t have been any older than four, was in a three-piece suit and while Kate and Rana acknowledged that he was sweet, he didn’t look entirely comfortable.

“Bloody hell, that kid’s Bertie!” Kate winced when she saw Daniel and Sinead standing a few places in front of them. 

“Oops,” Rana said and sniggered at Kate’s guilty face.

_______________________________________________________________

The baby competition was featured in the Weatherfield Gazette couple of weeks later and Kate and Rana loved Grace’s photo so much, they sent it to an online photography company to be enlarged. 

They ordered several copies of the photo - they stuck one copy in her baby book, put one in each of their purses, framed one for their living room wall and gave another copy to Grace’s grandparents, who proudly propped it up on their fireplace next to the photo of Aidan.

The competition was divided into age groups and the babies and children who received the most votes were put through to the next round. To Kate and Rana’s surprise, Mary had taken the competition very seriously and had made leaflets and posters to help garner votes for Grace.

Mary had continued to drum up votes and Grace had made it through to the final (of course Kate and Rana were convinced that Nugget would’ve progressed without the extra help but Mary had put in a lot of effort and they didn’t want to hurt her feelings) but fell at the last hurdle and finished as the runner-up. Kate and Rana were disappointed but they weren’t overly bothered by the result, unlike Mary, who had demanded a ‘re-count since the vote was obviously rigged and the true winner was robbed’.

Johnny and Jenny had both found Marys’ behaviour odd but Rana thought otherwise. “I reckon she’s missing her grandson,” Rana had pointed out to her in-laws and Kate felt a pang in her chest. She always did have a soft spot for Mary, even if she was a little batty. 

“Maybe we should add her to list of potential babysitters?” Kate suggested and Rana agreed since it seemed as though Nugget had taken to her.

Grace was now three months old and had become a bona fide chatterbox now that she had found her voice. Kate and Rana spoke to her constantly, no matter how trivial the topic and Grace would always respond in her own babble and gurgle filled language.

Their camera rolls were filled with photos and videos of their adorable baby and they fell in love with her a little bit more each day. She constantly surprised them with a new ability she had learned and one day when Rana was busy making dinner, Kate excitedly called her over to watch Nugget’s latest talent.

Kate and Rana had introduced Grace to tummy time to try and encourage her to get moving and build up her neck and upper body muscles. Grace had taken to it like a pro and so her parents had added a few minutes on each day. 

Grace was laying on her front and the look on her face was pure concentration as she focused on a toy that was just out of reach. Her head and chest was held high and her arms were moving as if she were attempting a push up.

“Are you getting it?” Kate whispered to her wife. They were both laying side by side on their fronts while Rana filmed the moment on her phone. Kate checked the screen and both women were overcome with emotion as they watched their clever daughter with pride.

Kate pushed the toy so that it was within Grace’s reach but she misjudged the angle and it skewed off to the side. Kate was about to correct her mistake when Rana stopped her and silently nodded her head toward Nugget. Both women were amazed as they watched her roll from her tummy to her back and grab the toy, which of course went straight into her mouth.

“Well, that’s sorted then; she gets her brains from you and her brawn from me,” Kate commented and Rana chuckled. 

_______________________________________________________________

Grace had been fed, bathed and put in her pyjamas and was almost ready for bed. As well as constantly talking to Nugget, Rana had suggested they introduce reading to her as part of her bedtime routine.

“Isn’t she a bit young, though?” Kate had questioned. “She won’t know what we’re on about.”

“It doesn’t have to be a novel, we can just get a picture book with the alphabet,” Rana had suggested. “I loved reading as a kid but if she doesn’t like it, we’ll try again later.” 

“Okay,” Kate had agreed. “But whatever we choose will just end up in her mouth anyway!”

Rana had chosen tonight to trial the story time and snapped a quick selfie of them snuggled up before she got started. She opened the cloth book to the first page and read the simple contents to her daughter.

“‘A is for apple’,” Rana said smiled as Grace repeatedly batted her open palm against the soft material. She looked up and smiled when she saw Kate re-enter the room after putting some clothes away. 

“Having fun?”

“Yep; we’re having a great time, aren’t we Nugget?” She said and smiled when Grace babbled back.

“Right, well I’m gonna have soak in the tub; you can join me if you want....” Kate left the sentence hanging and sauntered off to the bathroom.

“Let’s wrap this up, shall we?” Rana said but every time she tried to close the book, Nugget started to whinge. “Okay, fine, we’ll read a couple more pages and then that’s it,” Rana said and before she knew it, she had reached Z. 

She looked down and saw that Grace had fallen asleep so she snapped another selfie and posted it to her social media page with the tag #humanpillow. She checked her phone when a message came through and she smiled when she read Alya’s text.

From Alya: so cute! When is it my turn to babysit? x

Rana was about to reply but accidently dropped her phone on the floor. She couldn’t reach it without disturbing the baby so she decided to wait until Kate had finished her bath. 

She rolled her eyes when she heard it beep again but when she attempted to retrieve it with her foot, Grace began to stir. Rana froze and waited for Nugget to settle and tried again. She managed to hook it with her toe but when she leaned down to get it, Grace woke up and began to cry.

“Alright, alright, I’m sorry!” Rana soothed. She pressed kisses to the side of her head and breathed a sigh of relief as Nugget eventually calmed down and went back to sleep.

“Er, what happened; I thought you were joining me?” Kate entered the room dressed in her pyjamas and dressing gown and stood with her hands on her hips. 

“I was about to but someone had other ideas,” Rana said. “I’m gonna put her down; can you check my phone for me? It’ll be Alya,” Rana said and placed Nugget in the co sleeper. She made sure she was settled and tenderly stroked her soft, curly hair before she joined her wife in the living room. “What did Alya say?”

“Um.....that wasn’t from Alya,” Kate said and Rana frowned. “It was from your mum – she knows about Grace and she wants to meet her....” 

End of chapter twenty eight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh!
> 
> Thanks for reading. I'm not sure why but I'm not 100% happy with this chapter but I hope you enjoyed it. Please let me know what you thought. More soon! :)


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